The Revenge
by TBloves2read
Summary: Mercedes didn't know why she allowed Santana and Quinn to convince her to execute this outrageous scheme to get revenge on Sam Evans. True Sam was the reason her father disowned her, and she had to make it LA by depending on her meager salary as a background singer, but she had survived. Participating in their revenge plot was going to change her life in more ways than one.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: While reading the free Kindle regency ****_The Sweetest Revenge_**** by Dawn Halliday, I was inspired to write this story while writing another one which is not good news for anyone least of all me because I can't juggle two stories. I have had this story in the back burner for several months and only now have decided to publish some of it while taking a break from a heavily Finn laded story ****_Revelations. _****This chapter has not been edited so please excuse all the mistakes. I will be updating ****_Revelations_**** and explaining why I'm doing what I have done.**

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or ****_The Sweetest Revenge _****but for the first time ever I am doing a fanfiction based on the two. I have always written from my heart so this is a departure and unfortunately just as time consuming. **

Sam Evans stepped out into the cold New York streets. Bright lights illuminated his walk from the club he just left with cigarette in mouth and eyes reddened from drinking. He was a long way from his birthplace of Tennessee and his temporary home of Lima, Ohio. He had gone from being upper-middle class and attending an all boys' private school in Tennessee to being homeless in Ohio. And now he was finally being known as a successful musician after living the life of male model for the last five years. He was finally financially secure after living most of his adult life from paycheck to paycheck.

He could remember when he was seventeen years old, and he'd spent the happiest summer of his life in Lima, Ohio and had never wanted to leave although he was dirt poor at the time. Now, however, he never returned to Lima only when absolutely necessary. There was nothing left for him there. Sam thought as he walked down the streets with his friends, Artie Abrams and Jake Puckerman crowding him from behind with their laughter shattering the peace of the night and getting on Sam's last nerves.

Sam was invited to join them in a cab ride to the next club, but Sam was ready to leave their company as he told them he had called for his own cab to take him home hoping that they would pursue the pleasures of the New York nightlife without him. Drinking and women did not tempt him at all; even though, he partied with the other two men ever since they'd all come to live in New York City together.

The guys told him goodnight as they rounded the corner, and Sam was still sober enough after drinking three beers to know he wasn't drunk but that his mind constantly wanted him to relive his past when seven years ago he was such a fool and the regrets he had about that Indian summer night would replay in his head even though he tried to forget the events that permanently haunted him as he became suspicious to a black car that was parked near him and appeared to be following him as he paced to keep warm while he waited for his cab.

He didn't think about the car for long when he thought of seven years ago when he last held her in his arms and how he was forced to let her go and pretend that she didn't exist anymore or her father would refused to have anything to do with her. Her father was more than a little upset with Sam for giving her the opportunity to go to L.A. and follow her foolish dreams of becoming a singer. He blamed Sam completely for his little girl rebelling against him, and he demanded that Sam break up with her if he was going to support her dream of going to school in LA and providing her with the financial assistance she was going to need. And when the producer tried to get her to lower her standards, he rubbed it into Sam's face how his daughter had failed and wasted a year of her life because of him. Telling Sam that just because he was content being poor in living in the homes of others that it was not the life that he wanted for his baby girl. After their final conversation Sam knew that her father would never allow him to be with Mercedes blaming him for Mercedes' failure and all the horrible things that happened to her because Sam paved the way for her to reach her dreams.

Sam was so lost in his thoughts about the past that he didn't hear a female voice calling out his name, "Sam… Sam Evans." Did the voice come from the car? With an exasperated sigh he turned towards the voice and that is when pain exploded in his groin. Someone had used a stun gun on him making him reel backwards. Then one figure larger than the sound of the female voice that called him came towards him and used martial arts on him until he was knocked completely out. The last thought that came to Sam's mind was that he wouldn't be seeing Jake or Artie again tonight and everything faded to black.

* * *

Mercedes Jones paused at the door of Quinn's kitchen's breakfast nook. The morning sunlight streamed through the blinds of the tall windows giving the room a serene feeling. The smell of eggs, bacon, toast, and oatmeal permeated the area. She could see Quinn and Santana, sitting in rare silence, with her back to Mercedes. For the first time since visiting the two New Yorkers she could feel tension so thick that a chainsaw couldn't cut through it. Perhaps her two friends weren't as cold-hearted as they had seemed.

However, who could peaceful with the knowledge that they had kidnapped a man and tied up in Quinn's basement?

Sam Evans. Mercedes thought as he chest tightened with the though to having him so close to her bound and no doubt raising hell as he tried to figured out the who's, how's, and why's of his present predicament. Mercedes pushed all sympathetic thoughts of Sam out of her mind as she took a breath, and Quinn raised her head and greeted her. "Good morning Mercedes. I am surprised to see you up so early. You know I know how you love to sleep late. Pour your self some coffee and get something to eat."

"Thanks, Quinn." Mercedes replied as she slowly moved her feet to fill her plate with eggs and toast, but her stomach got queasy at the sight of all the food. She poured herself a cup of coffee to keep her hand from shaking.

"You don't need to thank me, Mercedes. I told you my house is your house. We are all friends are we not?"

Santana shocked Mercedes by agreeing, "I agree with Q we are all the best of friends." She said looking at Mercedes in the young woman's doe shaped brown eyes.

Mercedes thought if they ended up together in prison, they would surely need their friendship to survive.

Santana continued, "Trust me Mercedes we might have gone several years without contacting you, but you are still our friend, and trust me when Quinn says mi casa es su casa. She means its senorita. Besides if you doubt her or our friendship again, I will throw one of my Lima Heights Adjacent fits and surely you don't won't me going all LHA up in here?"

Mercedes quickly answered "Hell to the no," as she couldn't keep her lips from twisting into a smile. "Well if you are threatening to resurrect Snixx, I guess I will have to agree to whatever you and Quinn says because I don't have time to be fighting you as Satan." Mercedes teased as she paused to take a sip of her coffee before continuing with the question that had been burning in her mind since last night rendezvous, "How is he?" she asked the two in a low voice.

"Still asleep," Quinn replied her voice lower than usual. Quinn was the same age as Mercedes and Santana and had already been married and widowed. Before her husband Finn died, she had borne him a daughter Beth who was currently visiting her grandmother Carole in Washington, DC for a part of her winter break.

Mercedes always felt large and less gorgeous than her old classmate. No matter how much she dieted and exercised she could not rid herself of her generous tummy, thighs, or hips. She had curves and even though she sometimes indulged in candies and treats, she was never going to be a size 3, and she no longer cared. Also compared to Quinn's and Santana's worldliness, Mercedes knew she was considered the goody two shoes of the three friends.

Although Mercedes might not have slept with as many men and women as Quinn and Santana, she was far from innocent. She hadn't been a virgin since she and Sam became lovers her senior year of high school. When she left him to attend UCLA and fulfill the terms of contract as a background singer, their affair had been discovered by her mother who quickly told her father. Shamed by her behavior and her willingness to leave Ohio and pursue a pipe dream, her father had threatened her to break up with Sam, and when she told him, she wouldn't; he told her he would disown her which he did because she would not bow down to his outrageous demands.

However, before she could even call Sam from LA with her father's insane demands, Sam had called her breaking up with her telling her he didn't want to hold her back from reaching her dreams by trying to take extension courses and working in the studio as a background vocalist and trying to call him and have Skype dates. It would be too much on her because of the time difference. He told her that they would resume their relationship in the summer when she came home and he would be admitted into a college in California so that they could finally be together forever.

Mercedes believed Sam's lies, and although they were officially broken up, she truly believe that their relationship was just on hiatus, and she refused to go through the Shane/Sam cheating incident that she had earlier that year, so she decided to stay single and faithful to the guy she had given her virginity and her heart to. Like an idiot she trusted Sam Evans, and she had been unable to trust and or love another man in seven years since he totally destroyed her heart.

"I think Puck might have hit him too hard,' Santana said to Quinn. "Sam might never wake up at all."

Mercedes shivered at the thought of them having killed Sam.

"Are you crazy?" Quinn asked Santana. "I had Puck drugged him to keep him out all night. The drug will wear off in no time at all."

"I hope you are right." Mercedes told Quinn.

"I am always right, Mercedes. The doctor has already seen him and he was perfectly fine. Not a single bone was broken. Just his jewels and pretty face were bruised.

"You called a doctor?" Santana asked her friend surprised that Quinn cared enough to do so.

"Yes, he's an old friend of the family and will be discreet. He is one of my sister's ex-boyfriends. He would die for a chance to get back into Franny's good graces.

Mercedes just nodded. Before last night, she never thought Quinn and Santana would go through their silly drunken plan for revenge. They had set their plan for revenge long before she'd met up with them in New York. As of right now Sam could not identify them and even if he did Quinn was convinced because she was the lawyer that he would never go through the scandal of a trial, but still Mercedes was quite worried.

Santana and Quinn both were angered seven years ago when Sam dumped Mercedes and took up with Brittany claiming that she was the love of his life. Quinn remembered Sam refusing to give her a second chance in school because he was so in love with Mercedes even when she was unavailable. Then, he just dumped her without any good reason and picked up with Brittany. Quinn couldn't understand his mind at the time. It was if sane Sam left the building, and dumb blonde Sam took up residence. Quinn never told Mercedes, but Kitty told her how Brittany would call Wade/Unique Mercedes' name all the time, and Sam never bothered to correct her once. It took Quinn a while to forgive him for that shit.

And even though Santana dumped Sam many years ago to get with Karofsky, she was still angry with him because he destroyed her relationship with Brittany, the only girl she was able to love. Sam had so poisoned the clueless girl mind against Santana that nothing she could do could win her girl's heart back to her.

And although Quinn cheated on Sam with Finn, Quinn blamed Sam for fooling her into thinking that he would marry her as soon as his finances changed when the two met up later in New York after she had graduated from law school. She had met up with Sam in New York a year after Finn's death, and Sam became a constant companion and friend to her and a stand in dad to Beth. He even slept with Quinn, and Quinn was sure that Sam was going to marry her as soon as he could leave his modeling career and focus on his music. However, as soon as Sam was signed to a major label, he dumped Quinn like she was bad news and began hanging around Artie Abrams and Jake Puckerman sleeping with random sluts and partying like a rock star no longer content to be a future husband to her or a father to Beth.

When Santana had ended up never receiving the fame that she thought living in NYC could give her, she had moved back to Lima and hoped to get back with Brittany who had started a successful veterinarian practice. However, the girl told Santana that because of Sam she realized that Santana could never love her the way she needed to be loved and she wasn't talking about a strap on. Being with Sam had convinced the girl that she was no longer bisexual but strictly dickly, and Brittany had moved on to marry Ryder Flynn. Santana doubted Brittany's sanity if she thought that getting with a Sam clone was a step up in the world. Santana left Lima heartbroken and returned to NYC. Rachel and Kurt both allowed her to stay with them until she got on her feet, but Santana was so depressed that she began experimenting with drugs and ended up being a high class call girl to pay for her coke addiction.

When Quinn found out about Santana's lifestyle, she rescued her friend with tough love and made her go through rehab. Together the two became closer than ever. Quinn hired Santana to be her nanny while she went back to practicing law. Santana took care of Beth and was able to get her life back on track thanks to Quinn. The two were drinking one night when Beth was away on a sleepover, and then they both got to thinking about Sam Evans. After hearing Quinn's recent Sam tale, Santana threatened to go find the punk so she go all LHA on him. Quinn stopped her, but their drunken tirades found them hatching their plan to get revenge on the fake blonde haired singer whose songs were now rising to the top of the charts.

And although Mercedes had finally got control of her life after failing miserably at trying to launch her career by selling CDs out of her trunk and uploading YouTube videos, she had gone back to her father begging for a second chance when she realized how Sam had dropped her for the person he always wanted to be with Brittany. She begged her father for forgiveness, but he refused to allow her to move back into their home or to help her go to Lima University or Ohio State. So, Mercedes moved back to LA and got her job back singing back-up vocals but could no longer afford to go to UCLA by extension. Instead she got a second job as a receptionist at her record label and barely made enough money from the jobs to cover her meager living expenses. She lost a little weight due to fact that she couldn't afford to eat fast foods, but the steady living paycheck to paycheck and being on the road performing in the background did nothing for her esteem. So, when she received an invitation out of the blue from Quinn to spend some time with her over the holidays, she refused to take any bookings and high-tailed it to New York to spend some time with her former soul sister.

The two ladies had barely kept in touch after her wedding and Finn's funeral. However, Quinn and Santana had hatched a diabolical plan, and they couldn't help but add Mercedes into their grand scheme in case she also wanted to get her revenge on the dastardly Sam Evans.

Now Mercedes was sitting there worried that she had bitten off something that was just too big for her to chew. She never expected that Quinn and Santana would go through with it. How preposterous was the plan that they'd set up for him for revenge before she even met up with them to try to make them see that revenge never solves anything. She couldn't help but worry about the consequences of the plan, and Quinn could see the worry etched into the pint sized diva's face.

Quinn quickly grabbed her hand and held it. "Mercedes don't worry. I have thought of everything."

Santana agreed by grabbing Mercedes' other hand, "Quinn has thought of everything. She has spent months boring me to tears going every single detail related to her our plan. Believe me she has left no stone unturned." It had been decided that all three of them would disguise their voices when speaking to Sam. Santana would use the harsh New York accent that she had acquired from one of john's request that she sound more like the Puerto Rican girls from the Bronx which ended up sounded like Rosie Perez and Jennifer Lopez. Quinn would speak with a Southern accent, and Mercedes would use a Valley girl accent as much as possible whenever they had to speak around Sam. Sam had wounded them, so Sam had to suffer is basically what her reunited friends had been telling her since she arrived in New York over the Thanksgiving holiday.

"I completely trust you both, and I will do whatever it takes for us to reach our goal." Mercedes told her two friends hoping her trust in her friends won't be misplaced as it had been when trusted Sam.

"Never give up!" Santana agreed vehemently.

Both girls looked at Mercedes and she remembered all the pain that Sam had put her through. Her own voluntary estrangement from her family because she refused to give him and LA up and her broken heart that had never healed, who knows what kind of artist she could have been if she didn't have so much pain bottled up inside along with lack of trust? Mercedes blinked away the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"I will never give up," she told her friends again as a shadow fell over the table and Puck blocked the light from the window. Mercedes was always in shock that Puck now worked for Quinn as the muscle she needed in getting Sam to her basement. How Quinn convinced Puck to participate against his bro shocked Mercedes, but it was if the past womanizing Puck was gone replaced with a cultured fellow who like Sam had dated all three of the women looking at him, but unlike Sam had never left them brokenhearted.

"Sam is awake and still blindfolded," Puck told them using the French accent that Quinn told him to use to disguise his voice from Sam.

Mercedes broke out in a cold sweat after hearing these words. To see Sam again after all these years how would she survive it?

Santana on the other hand clapped with cheer.

Quinn turned to Santana and referred to her as her Puerto Rican alias, "Are you ready Juanita?"

Smiling at Quinn's use of her alias, Santana readily nodded as Quinn asked her again was she certain he wouldn't know her voice? And Santana replied, "I am sure Charlotte or should I call you Charlie?" Santana teased Quinn concerning her alias.

Mercedes was simply to be known as Juliet. She just hoped she would remember Juanita and Charlotte. She didn't want to slip up and call them by their real names. Unaware of Mercedes' distress, Quinn rose from the table and with a wide smile announced in her best Savannah, Georgia accent, "Let the games begin!"

* * *

Sam could feel a light fingernail trailing across face over the tape that was on his mouth down to his chin. He sat on the edge of lounge of what felt to be a sectional sofa and had to force himself to remain still even though all of his instincts told him to fight. He had tried to escape earlier, but the ropes that had him bound were too tight and only cause him to chafe his skin raw when he tried to get free. His hands were tied behind his back, and he his foot was shackled to a chain that was held seemed to be bolted to the wall beside the sofa. He struggled in vain several minutes before realizing that he was completely captured against his will.

Although he could see only a sliver light through the material of his blindfold, he knew that it had to be daytime by now. Artie and Jake should have noticed his absence from last night partying and tried calling him. Surely his manager, record label, and friends would have sounded the alarm notifying the police or the FBI of his absence.

He could feel the fingernail trailing the length of his jaw in a sensual touch. "Senor, I do believe you need a shave." Santana said in her high pitch grating voice that was totally removed from her usual sassy and sultry tone.

The words caused a low growl to spill from Sam's voice which caused Santana to cup his chin and say, "Ah Sammy no need to fret."

Sam realized this Latina lady knew his name as she played with him he imagined her exchanging glances with the other people that he could hear in the room. An unspeakable rage surged through his chest, and he begin to scream although none of his words could be discerned due to his mouth being taped shut.

"Silencio, Sammy. Do behave. It's not like I am hurting you…yet." Santana said causing Quinn to let out a loud guffaw. She didn't speak, but the sound of her laughter made the hair on his arm stand. He could tell a sense of power came from the woman and he couldn't remember if that was the voice that he heard calling him from the street the night before. Rage bubbled inside of him as he tried to imagine what the woman on the street looked like. She was skinny with dark hair or was her hair covered by a wig. He couldn't remember. All he could remember was the pain to his crotch and his head. Why wouldn't the other lady speak? He couldn't understand why two females would kidnap him and tease him like they had not committed a federal crime.

He could hear the first lady's voice speaking. "Dios mios, you seem so upset. Are you embarrassed because you have been taken hostage by three senoritas?"

Three women Sam said to himself as he tried to listen for sounds coming from the third lady.

"Good morning, Mr. Evans," a third voice spoke from the foot of the chaise proving her existence. At the sound of her voice pleasure reverberated throughout his entire being. He sat up straighter inclining his head towards the sound of that voice. The voice was an unfamiliar accent sounded more Valley Girl than New York City Bronx or Brooklyn. Yet there was an undertone of musicality to the voice that he couldn't pinpoint but it something about her melodious tone that reminded him of something that his memory wouldn't allow him to connect the dots. Slowly he faced the woman. Three in total one who was the silent leader, a frightened mouse, and the trio's harpy; who were they, and what did they want from him, and most importantly who could he use to get his freedom first? These were the questions going through his head as the group's spokesperson continued to talk. Her vindictive words were only inspiring hatred in him, and by the time she finished he could envision himself seriously hurting them all to gain his freedom.

The first lady introduced herself as Juanita as she brought a clean cloth to his face and nursed his injuries. She introduced the other two women as Charlotte and Juliet. Charlotte finally spoke to him and he could tell she was disguising her voice, and he wondered if he knew her. He would figure it out before the day was over. But the one who he wanted to speak again Juliet hadn't uttered a word. He wanted to hear her voice again so he could experience the sensations he had experienced earlier and maybe identify her as well. Juanita's voice interrupted his thoughts when she asked him "Do you know why we have you here Sam?"

Sam shook his head no in response, and she lowered herself onto the chaise lounge beside him. She began to stroke his body and told him that she would be giving him plenty of water and food. That they were not going to torture him in ways that he would expect. Santana leaned over and grabbed the tape from his mouth slowly to make sure Sam felt every aspect of the sting. As soon as the tape was removed, Sam croaked out, "Let me go and I won't tell the cops about you three crazy bitches."

Santana as Juanita firmly placed her hands on his shoulders and told him that they were unable to do so. She told him they would let him go when they were ready and they were far from being ready yet.

While this was going on Mercedes couldn't take her eyes of Sam Evans. She had expected him to feel angry and confused, but she hadn't anticipated his broad shoulders or the muscles he had so thoroughly developed after years of being lean to be a male model; he had obviously bulked up from the ads that she sometimes seen him in. He was much larger than she remembered and far more physically threatening. His face was manlier and with lines coming from his eyes and his generous mouth was pressed into a flat line with the morning beard growth in a russet scruff covering his jaw.

Mercedes couldn't help but remember their past summers together. Her memories only allowed her to stand mutely by as Santana teased and tormented Sam. Both Quinn and Santana seemed relaxed as if they were actually having fun and Sam's handsome, powerful, not to mention nearly naked body was clearly having no effect on her friends. She watched as Santana and Quinn both lean forward and touch him thinking if they could touch him that she could too. When she bent down and gently stroked his foot at the bottom, she was startled to hear the chains clank as her moved his foot away from her.

"How much will it take to pay you to set me free?" Sam asked them in a whispered voice that Mercedes vaguely remembered from the summers of their youth. He'd whispered that he loved her, that he wanted to marry her, and made empty promise after empty promise spoken while he had his way with her first with his mouth the first summer and then the summer she graduated from high school he used both his tongue and his cock to make love to her using his false promises to seduce her. She had been so stupid and naïve.

Quinn's voice broke Mercedes out of her musings. "We have no price." She said in Southern belle whisper which hid her voice really well.

Sam not believing her for a minute immediately asked, "What do you want from me?"

Santana replied, "Why do you think three refined ladies such as ourselves have locked you down in a musty old basement?"

"There is no reason why three sane women would ever want to lock me up anywhere!" Sam shouted.

Santana then began to use her hands to travel between Sam's legs. Mercedes couldn't believe her eyes as Santana's fingers begin to touch, stroke, and caress Sam's genitals.

Sam couldn't help but to spurt out, "What in the hell do you think you are doing?" as Santana continued to rub him the right way. She teased him asking him if he was thinking about last night's clubbing and dancing with scantily clad females.

Sam was so mad all he could do was demand that she take her hands off of him. Instead Santana's hand tightened over Sam's penis. She didn't release him until he had asked her through gritted teeth to get off of him and then she joined Quinn at the door. Sam despite the chains and bound hands rose up and took a threatening step towards Mercedes as if he could see her or sense where she stood. Mercedes quickly stepped backwards until she was well outside his reach.

"My friends will have missed me. My business contacts will be worried sick. They will all be searching for me and will have notified the authorities even the FBI. The entire country will be looking for me."

Quinn let out another chuckle as Santana told him that they would see about that suggesting that Sam show them more respect because they were much smarter than he thought they were, and he would be wise to remember it. Puck opened the door for Santana as she left the basement. Quinn met Mercedes' eyes signaling they were finished for now.

Sam could hear them leaving and demanded that they loosen the ropes that bound his wrists because he was afraid his hands would drop off due to lack of circulation.

Quinn told him that somebody would take care of it for him. Sam tried to convince Quinn to tell him why he was here and when he would be freed, but Quinn refused and Sam cursed them out as the two ladies hurried out of the door grateful to be out of a spewing mad Sam's presence. Passing Puck they walked up the steps and through another door to the kitchen watching Santana prepare the chicken that they would be eating tonight.

Mercedes and Quinn could tell that Santana needed time alone. So, they left her to prepare their lunch of chicken salad and croissants while Quinn and Mercedes discussed Santana's sexual behavior towards Sam, and Quinn revealed to Mercedes, Santana's past as a prostitute and how using that voice brought back her past memories of her john and how she had to do sexual acts with him. Mercedes was told of how Brittany's rejection had led Santana to do drugs and how she became a high class escort to pay for her habit, and how much Santana despised Sam. Mercedes realized Santana's true contempt towards Sam during that moment, and she agreed to allow Santana to use her seductive technique to get her own personal revenge against Sam.

When Quinn told Mercedes how Artie had brought Santana to Quinn after a john had beaten her up into a bloody pulp to get the girl to press charges, Mercedes realized that is when the two became friends again. Quinn helped Santana get into a good rehabilitation center and worked with her to help her stay clean and helped her to use the clean slate in life in becoming her nanny and helping to take care of Beth. Santana took over cleaning and cooking and basically becoming Quinn's domestic partner without sex they had tried it but Santana could not get off with Quinn as she had with Brittany and still felt dirty from being a call girl. The two realized they were better off as friends, and when Puck looked them up after finally leaving Lima to write his screenplay, Quinn had offered him a place to stay and Beth had taken to him like a duck to water. The three of them had lived together in peace for a year.

After Quinn finished filling Mercedes in on all the details of her life with Santana, Puck, and Beth, she questioned her friend on her response towards Sam realizing that Mercedes hadn't been around Sue Sylvester long enough to develop any tendencies to want to hurt or maim anyone for revenge. "Mercedes," she began and continued to tell her friend, "I know you still have feelings for Sam. I can see them in your eyes…"

Mercedes interrupted her, "Hell to the no, Quinn, not anymore. All the things that Sam has said and done have ruined what little love I may have had for him all those years ago. He is a completely different person than the boy I thought I knew. He deserves whatever you and Santana decide to do with him." Mercedes told the girl as they continued to walk and talk until it was time for lunch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge. _**

**_A\N: _****Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews. This story will be up quickly because it's actually based on another story and nothing is coming 100% from me. If you like the story give all credit to Dawn Halliday and RIB and other fanfiction authors who provide me with inspiration, I just adapted it like ****_Clueles_****s was an adaption of ****_Emma_****. If you haven't seen Alicia Silverstone and Gwyneth Paltrow in those versions do yourself a favor and watch them and compare the similarities. It is great entertainment in fact the way Cher and Dionne in ****_Clueless _****talk is the way Mercedes talks as Juliet to Sam. This story should be a total of seven chapters and should be finished by the 29th if my computer holds up. By the way this story does not have a Beta so please forgive all the grammar problems. I went back and re-edited Chapter One and will do the same for this chapter before Chapter Three is up.**

_After Quinn finished filling Mercedes in on all the details of her life with Santana, Puck, and Beth, she questioned her friend on her response towards Sam realizing that Mercedes hadn't been around Sue Sylvester long enough to develop any tendencies to want to hurt or maim anyone for revenge. "Mercedes," she began and continued to tell her friend, "I know you still have feelings for Sam. I can see them in your eyes…"_

_ Mercedes interrupted her, "Hell to the no, Quinn, not anymore. All the things that Sam has said and done have ruined what little love I may have had for him all those years ago. He is a completely different person than the boy I thought I knew. He deserves whatever you and Santana decide to do with him." Mercedes told the girl as they continued to walk and talk until it was time for lunch._

* * *

Chapter Two

The three friends had left Sam alone while they ate lunch. It was now dark in the basement, and Sam would do anything to be able to use the toilet, wash his face, and put on some clean underwear. No matter how he taxed his mind, he couldn't think of a reason why three psychos would abduct him and keep him hostage for no reason.

He was startled when he heard the sounds of a heavier footstep coming down the stairs toward him. Without his sense of sight, his other senses of smell and hearing were more potent. He knew those were not the steps of his three tormentors. He could hear the sound of water sloshing and could smell a masculine scent and knew this person was the man. Probably the manpower the women used to get him here and bound him or the doctor the three ladies had said had seen to his injuries.

"I will help bathe you and shave you monsieur." He heard a man say in a French voice. He was startled so far none of the voices matched anybody he knew, and he was almost positive they were using accents to disguise their real voice so he wouldn't be able to identify his kidnappers when he was set free. That gave him hope that they were not going to kill him otherwise why keep him from seeing their faces or knowing their voices unless he knew them. He had made a lot of mistakes in life, but he was sure he had never done anything to warrant this current abuse.

"I am sorry, but I don't trust you near my face with a razor. Why don't you give me the razor and untie my hands so that I can bathe and shave myself." Sam told the Frenchman.

"The ladies want you clean shaven. They said the dirty blonde hair and the sparse reddish brown beard was not a good look for you. However, if they keep you here long enough, I am sure your beard and hair will begin to match again." Puck told Sam as he helped the man wash his face, ears, neck, and under his arm. He was about to help Sam remove his underwear when he felt Sam move to try to avoid his touch.

Sam's pride prevented the man from seeing him completely naked and even though he knew he would be stinking up the furniture, he didn't feel comfortable having a strange man see him naked while he was blindfolded and chained. He felt vulnerable. "No, you have to set my hands free so I can clean myself. Also it's not like I can escape with my foot chained to the wall."

Puck began to speak up, but another voice coming from the door stopped him. "If you trust me, I will finish bathing and shaving you Sam." Sam was surprised to hear the voice of Juliet his third kidnapper offering to help him. Although she was not as abrasive as Juanita or the Southern speaking woman, he didn't know if he could trust her with a razor on his face.

"Okay, only if you promise to not cut up my face."

Mercedes thought that Santana would probably joke about his vanity and would use the razor blades she had stuck in her hair to teach him a lesson. However, she told him, "I will try my best not to harm you."

She sat beside him and assisted him out of his underwear, and cleaned his genital areas like a nurse would and then had him turn over so she could finish bathing him. Puck unchained his foot and quickly placed the chain on the other foot why Mercedes slid his underwear up the one leg, and then waited for Puck to unchain the other foot so she could slide the clean underwear up his body. Puck had completely secured Sam's chains as Mercedes got the shaving cream to prepare to shave Sam next.

Sam tried to distract himself from Juliet's soft touch and only the Frenchman's presence and assistance kept him from embarrassing himself by growing aroused by her touch. When Puck left to empty the water, and Mercedes began to prepare to shave him, Sam asked her about the weather so that he could hear voice again as well.

"You want to know about the weather?" She asked him with a breathy gasp that startled him. He could tell she was not like the other two women and his chest had tightened at the sound of gasp something was vaguely familiar to him about it. The thought left his mind as he couldn't think why she would align herself with those other two evil women when she apparently had a heart.

"Yes the weather. I have been here for over 24 hours. I can't see a thing or hear from the outside. Is it cloudy and rainy, sunny and cold, what is the weather like outside?"

"It's cloudy and cold. I don't know why you want to know." She said in her Valley girl voice as she continued to use caution as she shaved him.

"Thinking of the weather takes my mind off of being down here bound and blindfolded. Did you know how overly active your senses are when one is taken away and how you miss the other sense even more than you thought you could?" Sam admitted as he realized he was trying to have a conversation with a probably insane woman who held a razor in her hand and who probably wouldn't mind cutting him or killing him, but some instinct told him that she would not hurt him. He couldn't comprehend why he trusted her, but he did. It made no sense. Juliet was a mystery to him.

He continued to ask her questions about the weather when she wouldn't answer his question. She continued to ignore him refusing to talk again, and he wondered about her voice. It was irritating in the Valley girl vein but underneath it was a musicality and melodious lilt that made him sure that he knew her or maybe her mother or her sister. And her smell because of his loss of sight allowed him to smell over her perfume and deodorant to her very own feminine musk. With her being this close to him for so long, he was sure he'd smelled her before, but he was also sure he had never smelled anyone like her before. She was driving him crazy.

Mercedes could sense that Sam was sniffing her, and it just about drove her crazy. She quickly told him that she didn't want to talk anymore placing her fingertips on his lips to suggest that he not speak.

Sam closed his eyes underneath the blindfold when he felt her soft petite fingers on his lips. He inhaled her smell again and pressed his face into her hands. He wanted to feel those small soft hands all over his body, and Sam couldn't prevent himself from growing hard at the memory of her hands over the cloth on his genitals, and he wished now that her hands were down there minus the rough cloth. The silky touch of her skin all over his body without a piece of material separating them caused Sam's heartbeat to quicken and his breathing to become more labored.

Mercedes sensed the change in Sam and tried to get his mind off of whatever track it was going on and told him to be still or she may cut him to get him to keep his face out of her hand.

Sam agreed, but told her, "The next time you come to see me and are not shaving me, I would like to get you know you better."

This shocked Mercedes and she couldn't believe the words coming out of Sam Evans' mouth. She released the breath she had drawn and finished shaving him and tried to hurry to leave the room and his presence.

Sam hearing her hurriedly leave the room was shocked when the Frenchman returned with a chamber pot that was like a seat with a bucket in it for him to use the bathroom along with some hand sanitizer. Sam was also shocked that the man unbound his hands for a little time before tying him back up after he used the facility. Sam thanked the man and began to think of how he could use Juliet's kindness to help him escape.

He noticed the chamber pot that was placed within walking distances. And he knew from the Frenchman that whenever the ladies were out of the house that he was going to have the freedom of not having his hands tied if he followed the rules. As soon as Sam tried to fight the Frenchman, he would be forever bound and gagged. Later that day, the ladies left and Sam enjoyed his freedom. He untied his blindfold and searched the rooms for any clue to his location. Because he was unable to move, the room was dark with no source of light because it was cloudy so no moons are stars allowed him to see much through the window blinds and curtains. All he knew was that the Frenchman came back down and blindfolded him and then bound his wrists later that night.

Not an hour after the Frenchman left, Sam felt another presence in the room. He heard the sound of clothing hitting the floor and was shocked to discover by smell alone the identity of his tormentor from the previous day Juanita. "Why are you here?" He asked her and continued when she didn't respond, "Are you here to finish what you began in front of your friends the other day?" Sam asked as he felt her hands touch his body.

"Don't worry I haven't come to kill you. I thought with the furnace being out because of the recent snowfall shutting the electricity off and the generator not working down here that you would be cold."

Sam agreed that he was cold and was shocked when she agreed to get him a blanket after she finished warming him up with her body heat. Sam didn't know how to react he didn't trust Juanita at all. When she begin using her fingertips to play with his nipples, he began to question her asking her who she was, where she was from, and what did she want? Juanita gave him a hint of who she was when she mentioned his propensity of going out with so many women that he could have lost track of or forget one. Sam was happy that narrowed down his guesses in determining the woman's identity.

When Juanita's hand moved to his boxers, Sam's hand stopped her. "Get your mangy hands off of me you whore. You could be a murderer; I already know you are a kidnapper and crazy!" Sam yelled at the woman because he couldn't stop his body from physically reacting to her seductive touch.

"Oh, I see how Sammy Jr. responds to a whore's touch. Have you slept with so many prostitutes Sam?"

Sam didn't bother to dignify her question with a response. Sure he had slept with a lot of women. He always wore a condom and never promised them anything in return. He had only made love to one woman in his life; she was the only woman that he had loved, and the experiences he had with her were too few, and the memory cut him to the bone whenever he thought of her. The only other times he got laid were when he was horny. He never went looking for women. They all just threw themselves at him, and he could take his pick. After sleeping with Quinn a couple of years ago, he realized the danger of sleeping with anyone who made him feel anything. Because although Quinn was a good lay, he couldn't get his mind off of her the entire time that they were in bed that he was sleeping with her sister, and Sam realized there could never be a relationship between the two of them because Quinn reminded him of God Squad and her, and Sam didn't want to think of her at all.

While Sam was lost in thought, Juanita continued to try to seduce him. She began covering his muscled abs with tiny kisses while her hands went inside his boxers to touch his weeping cock. Sam could tell she was well practiced and knew what she doing as she began to devour his cock with her mouth and lick him with her tongue. Every time Sam got near to orgasm, she would pull away from him until she had him almost crying out for release. However, Juanita would not give him release but left him physically hard in great pain because due to his bound hands he couldn't even use his hands to rub one out. Sam cursed Juanita as she laughed at him and hurried up the stairs with a sadistic laugh that left Sam feeling cold on the inside.

Juanita was a crazy lady from his past, and she had admitted to never sucking his cock before when he asked her when she first placed her lips on his cock, but she didn't give him any more clues to her identity. She had gotten him so hot and hard so fast but wouldn't put him out his misery instead of calling her Juanita his new name for her was going to be cock tease. Sam realized he couldn't sleep because of the mental stress he had stemming from his capture and imprisonment which continually caused him to question motives and means, and he also had a raging hard-on that made it physically uncomfortable to sleep as well.

When sleep finally came around three or four o'clock that morning, Sam was unhappy because his dreams were filled with her. He hadn't dreamed of her in months, and he was now dreaming that he in a room filled with mirrors and he saw her. She was looking just as she did the last time he saw her after they had made love for the last time. He looked into her doe like eyes and was lost. He told her he missed her as he reached down to touch her velvet skin with his fingers. Even in his dreams he couldn't bear to hear her name out loud. He crushed her to him in a hug that almost squeezed the life out of her as he ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her on her forehead. In his dream, he asked her to leave with him so they could go to California together.

The sound of the basement door opening with a bang woke Sam up as he was saying "No, don't go" to his vanishing dream girl. He fully woke himself up when he saw the Frenchman with all the materials he needed to help Sam with his bath. The Frenchman came early enough so that it would be dark enough in the room that Sam couldn't identify him, so Sam could take the blindfold off and be untied to use the chamber pot and bathe himself in semi privacy. Sam wouldn't allow the man to shave him and because the Frenchman didn't trust Sam with the razor, Sam refused to be shaved at all. Sam told the man that only Juliet was allowed to shave him.

Sam described what one of the women had done to him that night, and Sam was surprised to hear the shocking gasp sound that came from the Frenchman. The Frenchman obviously liked one of the women, and when Sam told him that it was Juanita, the Frenchman's slow exhale of breath alerted Sam to the possibility that the Frenchman did not like Juanita. 'He better not want Juliet,' Sam thought as he began to eat the breakfast that the Frenchman brought down a bagel, a banana, and some yogurt. Sam only had water to drink and was soon blindfolded and tied up as the Frenchman left him taking the dishes with him.

That night when Juanita left him, Sam couldn't go to sleep right away so he began to think of his own plan for revenge. He began to store all the information he had on his captors. He decided he would remember every sound they uttered, every scent they wore, and anything else that would give him a clue to their identities; so when the time came, he would be able to make them suffer like they made him suffer. He wouldn't turn them over to the authorities like he had initially planned, but he would find a cold uncomfortable place to keep them tied and bound while he performed sadistic acts of revenge against them that would make them rue the day they had captured Sam Evans.

* * *

While Sam was downstairs plotting his revenge, the ladies were upstairs listening to Santana as she retold last night nocturnal activities to them. Mercedes felt uncomfortable but kept her mouth shut thinking that Santana was way braver than she was. She had never performed oral sex on anybody and listening to the sexual act made Mercedes realized how she had been hurting herself keeping herself in an emotional barren state just because she was disappointed and brokenhearted. Plenty of people are disappointed and heartbroken and move on and meet and fall in love with someone else. Mercedes regretted that she hadn't moved on and totally released the past from its powerful grip on her.

Mercedes' memories then took her back to yesterday after listening to all of the depraved things Sam had done, she couldn't stop from herself form going towards the basement, and she had paused at the door when she heard Sam disagreeing with Puck. She didn't know what made her go downstairs to intervene, but she did know touching him was a mistake. When her fingertips lightly stroked his flesh, she couldn't help but feel warm tingles spread throughout her body. Just like in the past, she had fallen under Sam's sensual spell, and she was angry at herself for falling prey to his masculine wiles. She couldn't help herself from remembering how she wanted to rub her fingers over his soft plump lips. She had used self-control and stopped herself, but the memory of the feel of his skin beneath her fingertips still had the power to make her melt a little inside.

Santana noticed the faraway look in Mercedes eyes and asked the shorter woman was she shocked. Mercedes admitted that she was and immediately remembered how she had known Sam intimately on two times. They had first made love after prom. Sam had used his mouth on her to bring her pleasure like he had done many times in the past, but that night they had made love for the first time. And Mercedes tried to imagine Sam's penis in her mouth like she held him inside of her vagina. She began to feel moisture pool inside her panties as she imagined giving Sam head. She was wondering would he scream her name like he did last time, would he pull her hair, or would he beg her to stay and satisfy him as he had done with Santana the night before. Thinking of Santana and the other women Sam had been intimate with after her especially Brittany caused Mercedes to stop her fantasizing.

She decided that she would no longer use her memories to create future fantasies. Sam Evans was not to be trusted and she was not going to allow herself be enmeshed in a sensual web of seduction just because the man had only grown sexier with age. Telling herself what she shouldn't do and realizing how temptation was so close that the only man she had allowed to touch her and the only man she had touched was so close caused her to doubt her own sanity for even being there. She hadn't touched a man in seven years. She had given herself orgasms fingering herself while reading tawdry romantic novels whenever she got to feeling horny, but she couldn't even fool herself to think that any of her manual orgasms compared to the ones Sam had given her orally throughout their on and off again summertime relationship.

Quinn's voice congratulating Santana on getting Sam to beg for release woke Mercedes out of her meandering thoughts. Quinn was right Sam needed to pay for how he destroyed her life and caused such heartache for Quinn and Santana, Mercedes thought as she tried to convince herself that what they were doing was right.

Mercedes absentmindedly went to her room and saw that Quinn had brought her favorite Bath and Body Works scents that she used to be able to buy when she was a high school student and had a generous allowance from her dentist father allowing her to buy pretty much what she wanted within reason. Mercedes hadn't used those scents in years, and she was grateful that Quinn was thoughtful in supplying her with these in her room. Mercedes sprayed a little of her body spray in a cloud and walked through it like she used to do as a teen. She smiled at Quinn's thoughtfulness as she remembered the happier days of youth and a memory of Sam tweeting 'Mercedes smells good,' flooded her brain, and Mercedes couldn't help remembering singing "I'll Always Love You," to him and the last time they made love before she left for California he continued whispering "I love you," in her ear until she came flying apart in his arms in ecstasy. Mercedes went to the bathroom immediately showering to rid her body of the smell of the scent and changed her clothes to help her dispel those painful bittersweet memories.

* * *

Sam was awakened the next day with news that the ladies wanted to see him, so he was tied up and blindfolded by the Frenchman as the three ladies made their way downstairs to see him. He still had questions on who they were, what they wanted from him, and when would they release him, but he decided to treat this as if it was a _Punk_ episode of a television show that the women were being paid to do this, and his manager had agreed for him to participate to help promote the sales of his sophomore album.

Sam could smell their various perfumes and another smell. They had brought him breakfast according to Juanita. He told her he would be unable to feed himself with his hands tied up in a jokingly manner. Juanita remarked on his change in attitude that he was no longer mean and surly but was now behaving charming and as a gentleman which was a departure from the Sam Evans that they all knew and hated.

Sam asked for a guitar to play so he could compose songs to help him deal with monotony of the days downstairs with nothing to do, and Charlotte, if he remembered correctly, the Southern belle had agreed to get him one as soon as it was convenient. Sam had heard every voice except the voice that he wanted to hear the most. So, he asked, "Where is Juliet?"

"I am here." She said and Sam turned his face towards her voice at the foot of the chaise lounge.

He smiled brightly at her, and then he felt his stomach lurch. He was about to flirt with Juliet after having dreamed of her yet again and waking up stiff with arousal. 'What was he doing?' he asked himself causing the smile to leave his face.

Sam felt Juanita sit beside him and wondered what the hell she was doing now surely she wasn't going to feel him up in front of the other ladies. Sam felt himself get hard at the thought and almost missed Juanita's explanation of how she was going to feed him. He thanked her and listened to her apologize for not being able to cook as well as the cordon bleu chefs that he was used to as he ate the huevos rancheros she had prepared that morning and realized that the tortilla was cold and the eggs were burnt and cold but what made the meal truly disgusting was the scalding hot salsa. Sam chewed and swallowed wanting to beg for water but kept chewing and swallowing until he had eaten all of the horrible breakfast.

Quinn was surprised of Sam's attitude when she knew the breakfast that Santana had prepared yesterday was disgusting so she tried to rattle Sam in another way. "Why aren't you clean shaven, Samuel?" She asked in a Southern accent after Sam finished drinking his water.

"Well, I have no desire to let that beast of a man touch my handsome face with his hands. Besides I prefer that Juliet shaves me. If she doesn't shave me, then I will just have to wear a beard." Sam admitted.

"You are being ridiculous we have no intentions of hurting you, so to go without a shave is just stupid of you." Quinn observed his reaction to being called stupid and was surprised that he didn't lose control. "Have you thought any more on the reasons why you are here," she asked him trying to see if their revenge plan was working.

"Yes, I have and I can't imagine for the life of me why the three of you crazies thought of this plan and kidnapped me. It is preposterous."

"I hope you are very comfortable because you are not leaving until you understand what you have done wrong and you fully understand the evil of your actions and repent."

Sam thought her religious speak reminded him of someone. Her name was Kitty he thought. Surely that crazy heifer hadn't concocted this plan to see him suffer. He had never done anything to her other than try to keep himself as far from her granny looking presence as possible. Sam wasn't an angel and never pretended to be. He liked who he was most of the time. He sent money home to his family who now had a home that he bought for them. His sister and brother were entering their junior and senior year of high school with all their needs provided and college funds set up the future. Sam gave money to various charities and made sure all of his old clothing was donated to the Salvation Army and gave generously to Habitat for Humanity and homeless shelters. These women had no right to judge him, but if they wanted him to apologize for his crime of sleeping with single and available women, he would.

"I apologize for thoroughly sastiying all the women who offered themselves to me to such an extent that they never forget me even if I immediately forget them. I realize that I am corrupt monster who shouldn't have generously accepted the affection that was offered to me willing by these women, and if you let me go right now, I promise to live the rest of my life celibate. I repent please let me go."

This caused Santana as Juanita to laugh and made Quinn as Charlotte mad. She told him, "I forgot to tell you that your repentance had to be genuine."

"I am being genuine," Sam said in response to Charlotte's austere voice.

"You are not. You mistakenly believe that you haven't wronged any women and until you realize the error of your ways you will remain here." She told him in response.

"I have never physically hurt a woman or taken a woman against her will. I have only given women what they wanted." Sam argued.

"You are such a vain rooster." Juanita told him.

"So, I spread the wealth of my affections. I have never promised any of my lovers a marriage proposal, so they knew exactly what they were getting involved with when we had a relationship. If any of you believed that I would marry you, then you should know that I will never marry anyone so don't take it personally."

"Why won't you marry?" He heard Juliet ask him softly.

He couldn't answer Juliet. He just knew that no matter how beautiful, smart, and kind the women he bedded were, none of them compared to her. In his own thoughts whenever he found himself falling for another woman, he felt as he if was being unfaithful to her. He would never marry because of her. He took a deep breath and thought how he really needed a cigarette. He was grateful that the Frenchman or doctor had provided him with a patch, but his longing to smoke right now overwhelmed the usefulness of the patch. The gum that the Frenchman had given him to chew was also not keeping him from craving to participate in his one guilty pleasure.

It had only been three days and these women were peeling his layers and causing him to remember things that were best forgotten. They were not going to have him begging for mercy and apologizing for things he was not sorry for.

Juliet recognizing Sam's stubborn tilt of his head tried again when he still refused to answer her question, "You have said that you won't marry, and I wonder why you won't settle down with one woman."

"Do not try to understand me Juliet. I don't even understand myself so it would be totally impossible to try to understand why I do the things I do."

"We are here to understand you and to help you understand us so we may set you free. You do want to go free?" She asked him looking at him sadly.

"Then we are going to be here a very long time because it will take you all being able to accomplish what two psychologist and one psychiatrist has failed to accomplish." Sam admitted crestfallen that he couldn't give his captors what they wanted in order for them to be willing to free him.

"I'm sorry Sam, for upsetting you" Sam heard Juliet say, and he wondered what kind of psycho she was having help to capture him, constrain him, and allow him to be fed disgusting food, and then she had moved closer to him and apologized, and he could have sworn he recognized her smell; the way she phrased her apology was also so familiar to him. If he took away the Valley girl intonation, then he was sure he could recognize that voice. She was so close to him that he could smell her hair for the first time, and her hair had a familiar smell to it. Only one person he knew had hair that smell of that mixture of fragrant natural oils. His dream girl was standing right next to him.

Sam couldn't breathe. He began to panic. He heard her gasp again. And Sam was sure he had last heard that gasp seven years ago. It was the sound she always made after she came. Out of all the people in world Juliet had to be her. It was impossible. He could never believe that she would do this to him.

After Sam recovered, he could only say one word when his mind stopped racing from his revelation. He had avoided saying or hearing her name mentioned in the past seven years, but he couldn't help himself from uttering, "Cedes?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge _or the songs mentioned in this chapter_. _****Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews. Remember that**** this story does not have a Beta so please forgive all the grammar problems.**

Chapter Three

Mercedes sank into the rocking recliner in Quinn's den. Shivers coursed through her body as she rocked herself back and forth to keep herself from panicking. She didn't mean to ruin everything, but somehow she did. She didn't know how Sam guessed her identity without guessing Quinn's and/or Santana's. She couldn't blame them if they were mad at her and never spoke to her again.

Quinn could see the anxiety on her friend's face. So, she tried to comfort her by standing next to her stilling the chair and rubbing Mercedes on her arm. "Everything is going to be okay Cedes." She told her friend looking into her large brown eyes.

Mercedes looked at Quinn's hand on her arm, and then blurted out, "he recognized me even though I disguised my voice just like you and Santana, but he still realized it was me."

"I know and it's unfortunate, but he did and we have to deal with it."

Mercedes felt sick to her stomach. She had messed up Quinn's and Santana's plan for revenge. Maybe her father was right and she couldn't do anything right. She was a failure as always. She couldn't help but wonder what she was going to do now that Sam could charge her with kidnapping, abuse, and torture. She could go to jail, and her father would die of embarrassment. Her poor mother would not be able to show her face at church. She would never have a future in the music industry. She had just participated in something that was going to cost her her freedom, livelihood, and the little self-respect that she had left.

Mercedes could feel the bile rising in her throat. "Quinn I think I am going to be sick."

Santana rushed towards her and shook the girl who looked as if she wasn't going to hurl but go into shock. Santana had seen plenty of working girls go through this when they found out a friend had overdosed and died or they were going to be sentenced to jail. She knew that Mercedes needed to snap out of this and quickly. She began whispering reassuring words to her telling her that everything would be fine.

Eventually Mercedes was able to calm herself down. She went from feeling like she was going to hurl, to almost hyperventilating but eventually she was able to calm down by listening to Santana out of all people being loving and reassuring as she wrapped her arms around her and gently rocked her telling her that she was going to be okay.

"Thanks Quinn and Santana. I think I am going to be okay. I am scared to death, but I promise I won't faint or vomit all over myself." Mercedes told them in a whispered voice that was totally unlike her usual tone.

"Don't worry about him recognizing you. I will make sure Trouty will not hurt you." Santana said trying to reassure her friend.

"I think after we release him, Sam is going to have me arrested." Mercedes admitted as she got up out of the chair and began to pace back and forth across the room.

"No way in hell is that going to happen. We won't allow it to happen." Santana responded as she turned Mercedes around and looked into her eyes.

"Santana is right. Mercedes you are like a sister to me, and I won't let anything bad happen to you." Quinn joined the two girls and took out one of the friendship bracelets that she was weaving for the three of them.

"You see this bracelet it is made of three strings the green one represents me, the black one Santana, and the brown one is you. I chose these colors because they match our eye colors. Cedes I need you to remember our God Squad days. In Ecclesiastes 4:12, it states: 'Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.' Without you we could have withstood Sam by ourselves, but with you we are a threefold cord, and we will not be easily broken. We have to stick together and protect each other at all costs."

"Maybe he didn't realize what he said. He received a pretty severe blow to the head, and we did wake him out of his sleep." Santana tried to comfort her friend with that possibility.

"Oh, believe me Santana he knew. I could tell by the expression on his face. If looks could kill, he would have murdered me right then and there."

"I would never let Trouty Mouth lay his hands on you in anger. I would protect you with my own body before I allow him to touch a hair on your head. Hell I would even sleep with him and Puck and any other man he chooses if he promises never to bother you again." Santana said with tears in her eyes.

Mercedes heart was touched at Santana's declaration, but she noticed Quinn's grimace when Santana mentioned sleeping with Puck, and Mercedes began to wonder if there was something going on between Quinn and Puck. She had mentioned there was nothing going on between her and Santana, but Mercedes couldn't remember if she said the same thing about Puck.

"Do you know how Sam was able to recognize you?" Quinn asked not sure how Sam had recognized Mercedes since he hadn't had any contact with her friend in years.

"I think it was a combination of my smell. He told me that without his vision that his other senses were more powerful. I noticed you had left me my favorite Bath and Body scents in my room, and I sprayed a cloud around me, but I took a shower and put new clothes on. The only thing I didn't do was wash my hair. So, I guess some of the scent of the cologne combined with my hair's scent was enough to spark his memory of me. I didn't think he would remember how I smelled after all these years though, but I am sure no other woman uses the natural oils I use in my hair combined with my favorite Bath and Body scent."

Quinn leaned over and took a whiff of Mercedes' hair and realized that her friend was right. She remembered crawling into Mercedes' arms and smelling her hair and scent over the years and nobody else she had met smelled like her friend. Quinn realized that she was partly at fault for buying the scents, but there was no way that she thought Sam would remember something from a smell that was very faint and totally irrelevant to his situation.

"Can you imagine Trouty being romantic enough to remember what Mercedes' hair smells like after seven years when it was Brittany that he claims that he was always in love with?"

"Romantic?" Quinn and Mercedes both said at the same time.

"Yes." Santana said exasperatedly. "It could be a telenovela. A no good bastardo is captured and remembers the smell of the one lady love who did not break his heart, but she has captured him and chained him to a wall for revenge, and he falls helplessly in love with her just by remembering her smell and recalling her identity even though he is blindfolded.

"What the hell Santana you better not have been smoking any joints that Puck has brought into my home without my permission. You need to stop watching those telenovelas and watch something worthy of your brain. You better not have Beth watching that drivel. I was wondering how she got to be so fluent in Spanish. I am guessing you have her watching Univision with you when I am working late."

"Would you rather have her watch those child molesters using puppets or dressed up in costumes or speaking a nonexistent language like they do on PBS? Univision is so much more educational and better for our little carina." Santana said knowing that Quinn could see right through her bullshit.

Quinn arched her eyebrows in response to Santana's question and observation knowing it was better to not argue with the feisty Latina. Instead she turned attention back to Mercedes. "I thought Sam mentioned that he had so many lovers that even he couldn't remember them all." She couldn't get over Sam remembering Mercedes' scent. The girl he broke up with to go with another girl he had professed to love. Something didn't add up.

"I think it was because I was his first. I wasn't his first time. He told me that he had sex with a woman at that strip club before coming back to Lima after he heard me reducing our relationship to a summer fling and Shane talking about having cocoa babies with me, but before he left, I was the first girl he had oral sex with and went to third base with because you two obviously wouldn't put out for him. I gave him his first social orgasm by giving him a hand job, and I was his first and probably only virgin. Maybe that's why he couldn't forget me." Mercedes rationalized.

Quinn thought about what Mercedes was saying. "That could be very well the case. He was a different person while he was with you. With me, he tried to hide his true dorky nature and would believe any lie I told him. He might have thought he loved me enough to give me a promise ring, but I knew he was just trying to get inside my panties. And with Santana unless he was into BDSM, there was no way he got any satisfaction out of that relationship. She constantly belittled him, forced him to make-out with her in public, and then dropped him for Karofsky while she was in love with Brittany. So, at the time you were probably the best relationship he had ever had." Quinn added after looking at her intently, "and you little innocent God Squad founding member allowing Sam all up in your goodies, and you actually gave him a hand job. That was more than I thought the two of you got up to in your summer romance. So, you really got friendly with him more than you let on when Tina asked you about your summer fling. I can't believe you didn't tell us."

"Well at the time we were barely speaking, and I was dating Shane. I didn't feel it was okay to kiss and tell. Besides Sam really grew into himself and became more everything over the summer. It was like he began the school year a little wannabe Justin Beiber, but by July he was a wannabe Channing Tatum. Where do you think he got his White Chocolate name and moves from?"

"Ooh Cedes, I always new you were another HBIC. I guess we three really were the HBIC's of McKinley. You made a man out of that boy. You should have taken your bragging rights to the bank." Santana said laughing hard at her memories.

"Who was I going to brag to? I knew all about your sex talk with Berry that I wasn't invited to. You all didn't know Tina wasn't a virgin, but she was invited, but I was not. During that time I needed Shane because it was obvious I didn't have any friends. My secret boyfriend left not even a month after getting me addicted to his loving arms and his tongue. I am sure Quinn you know what he can do with it on both sets of lips now, my best friend drops me for Rachel Berry, and I lose my sister Quinn to the skanks. I really didn't think I had any friends until you and Brittany joined me in the Trouble Tones especially after none of you stood up for me to Mr. Schue. I didn't feel comfortable with any of our friendships to tell any of you about what Sam and I got up to behind close doors."

"Mercedes I feel like we never apologized to you about that whole Mr. Schue thing, and even though you were not at the next Glee meeting; we all did take up for you. It was too little too late, but we were all hormonal selfish teenagers. However, we are adults now and our friendship is going to last because we know the true value of friendship. We are a three stranded cord remember, and Sam Evans is not going to break us."

"Hell, Mercedes you know you are my girl. You had my back whenever I needed you, and although I realized it later than I should, you have always been my friend, and I will always be your friend. We are the three weirdest friends in the world. I have fought both of you over Puck like an idiot, and we all have dated Sam, but we have remained friends even though Quinn constantly was hitting on us, and we have had to fight her roving hands that's all in the past."

Quinn rolled her eyes at Santana and continued to rub on Mercedes' arm to show the Latina that she didn't care what she said. She just liked to touch people nothing was wrong with that.

Santana wasn't finished though. "Now, after mentioning how you turned 'No Game Sam I Am' into 'White Chocolate Body Rolls Sam', I can see how he would never forget you. You were his first serious relationship that he had to fight for. Didn't you say he turned you down Quinn even when Mercedes was still dating Shane?"

"Yes, that is when I started to respect him because he was no longer willing to date me for popularity, and I thought we became true friends after he delivered to me some home truths. After my accident, Cedes and Sam's friendship meant everything to me. I think him being homeless and Mercedes loving him despite him living in a hotel when she had everything made Sam a better person."

"That's true. It was only after you two broke up, and he got with Brittany that he became the selfish, conceited, and evil bastard that we all know and hate. Something had to happen that summer before you left that changed him. Something major because after you gave him your V card, me and Britt ran into him that Sunday after prom and you would have thought he won the lottery. I never knew lips that big could smile that wide. Plus, when you got your recording contract and he emptied his bank account buying you purple balloons and bragging about your success to anybody who would listen that shit was not an act. Trouty obviously felt something for you and that good good you got must have temporarily fried his brain and when you left he must have went through withdrawal and reverted back to his old clueless behavior."

"Santana what you and Quinn are saying sounds plausible. Sam appeared to love me with all his heart and then just when I needed him the most, he broke my heart and then pretended like I didn't exist whenever I came back. And remember the school shooting and that whole Evan Evans mess. That boy still didn't say a word to me until I came back at Regionals, and then he acknowledged my presence and White Chocolate Sam began to reappear, but even after Britt broke up with him, he was not the same. I really think he is right about the whole psychologist and psychiatrist thing. Something went wrong in his life, and I don't know what it was, but whatever happened turned the man I loved into this creature we have downstairs who is destroying his life and any female's, who tries to love him, life as well.

"Well, we all agreed that Sam remembers you because you were his first serious relationship that resulted in him getting laid with a woman whose name who he could actually remember. So that means that Santana and I should be safe from being discovered by Sam. I don't wear any of the scents I wore in high school, and Santana doesn't either. We both went to this GMO free store to buy ourselves and Beth natural scents just short of a year ago. We all use the same shampoo and conditioner and had our scents personally made by an organic perfumer as well. I even bought Puck some of the same organic products. I know you only use natural things for your hair Cedes, but I bought you your old scents because I missed cuddling with you and smelling the old you, I used to love to cuddle up with. In hindsight I would have never bought you those things if I knew that this would be the result."

"I don't think we should continue in this. Sam already seems different. We should just let him go." Mercedes told her friends even though she thought their identities were safe from his detection.

"Mercedes don't worry. Sam has no proof that it is you. He called out a name after suffering from sensory deprivation and lack of sleep. It would be totally inadmissible in a court of law. We are going to deny that Juliet is Mercedes. We will tell him nothing nor give him any other reason to believe that you are Mercedes Jones. And when we free him, if he decides to pursue you, you will have me as an alibi. New York society considers me an outstanding citizen. Not only have I worked with Santana to help her turn her life around, but I have used Finn's insurance money to help lots of women who were in Santana's predicament. I serve on the board of several charities, and I even try many cases pro bono. I go to church and raise my daughter to the best of my ability. It would be a hard-partying rock star against me, and I guarantee you that I would not lose. Nobody would believe him, but I honestly doubt that he would even try to press charges against you. Think of what the media would do if they find out that he was suggesting a girlfriend that he dropped to get with another girl who dumped him locked him in a basement. You live all the way in California how would you have the money, resources, or the time to plan this vindictive act?"

Quinn sounded convincing, but this was not the Sam that she thought she knew. Who knows what he could be capable of doing?

Santana could understand Mercedes' apprehension better than Quinn. "Don't you worry chica. I will scare him so badly that after we free him, he will be too scared to even think you name nevertheless say it and try to pursue you when this is over. I still have my razor blades they are the only things that saved my life when I was attacked by that john. I will threaten to cut both of his balls off with a dull knife if he tries to hurt you. This wouldn't be a threat but a promise."

"Lord almighty Santana, I don't know whether to laugh or to take you seriously." Mercedes admitted to her friend. She didn't realize just how much Quinn and Santana cared for her and were willing to put on the line for her freedom and safety.

"Santana I know you have planned to threatened to cut his dick off and stick it inside his mouth if he doesn't capitulate to our demands, but I think it is best if Mercedes just doesn't go back down to the basement."

"I agree with Quinn. I think it is better if I leave and just go back to California. I can surely get some last minutes gigs and spend the rest of my vacation on the road singing." Mercedes didn't want to leave her friends, but she didn't know if she could handle the temptation of having Sam so close to her and not being able to touch him, see him, or Lord forbid have him touch her.

"Oh no chica, you can't leave us. I won't allow it. I would rather kill him than to let you go back to that dismal job. I know Quinn hasn't mentioned anything, but there are recording studios here, and you could move here to NYC and not have to pay rent until you got tired of us and wanted to live on your own."

"Santana is right. We are in this together. It wouldn't be right if you go. I was going to buy all your favorite things starting with your favorite scents, foods, and creature comforts to convince you to stay. Puck doesn't want you to go either and when Beth comes home for Christmas, I am sure she is going to feel the same way." Quinn added not willing to let her friend go back to her lonely life in LA. Although Quinn didn't mention it, all three of them had been rejected by family members. Santana's abuela had rejected her, Quinn's father had rejected her, and Mercedes' father had rejected her. The three of them had way more in common than she had with her biological sister. They were a sisterhood, a family, and she really wanted Mercedes to remain in New York. After spending time with her, she would surely miss her if she decided to go back to LA.

Mercedes burst into tears. None of the girls had ever seen Mercedes cry while smiling, and before they knew it they were crying, too. Mercedes told them that they were happy tears and that she was relieved that her friends loved her so much and were willing to risk their own discovery so that she might remain with them. She didn't know if she was going to live with them or not, but she finally found a home after the years she spent in LA away from Lima, she finally had a family she could depend on. Although all both her sisters were cray cray, she had to be cray, too, and that might meant she belonged with them if just to prevent them from coming up with another crazy plan like this one.

Santana was the first to stop crying and asked Mercedes quickly, "So, are you staying?"

Mercedes nodded her head in agreement. Causing smiles to break out on both Quinn's and Santana's faces. They both started speaking at once and then all got together and gave each other a three way hug.

"Now tell me what you want from Sam." Santana ordered when three of them had settled down at the kitchen table for a long overdue lunch of cold sandwiches and chips.

"I just want to know why…?" Mercedes began but couldn't finish.

"Why he pretended to love you, why he left you, and why he lied to you?" Santana and Quinn both said at the same time speaking over each other.

"Well, you can count on me Cedes; I will get the truth out of him even if I have to cut off his overly large lips to get it." Santana grinned as she used the knife to cut her sandwich in half playing with the knife as if she was going to torture Sam with it.

"Oh, ladies while we are all here. I forgot to tell you that Artie has called Santana and has invited himself to dinner after I slipped up and mentioned that his musical soul mate Mercedes was here for a brief visit this weekend."

"What in the hell did you do that for Quinn. I don't want to see him!" Santana said remembering the last time she saw Artie when she was a bloody mess.

"Santana it has been over a year. It will be fine."

"Hell no, Quinn, I don't want to see him. I cannot see him."

"Santana, Artie never judged you. He only cared for you and wanted the best for you that is why he brought you to me."

"Quinnie he saw me at my very worst. I had been awful to him because of his relationship with Britt. I tortured him and picked on him mercilessly. And then when I came to the apartment and Kurt and Rachel looked at me like I was dead, he was the only one who cared that I lived and tried to help me. I was bloody, bruised, naked, strung out on drugs, and seeing things. I don't want to relive it. I haven't seen him, Kurt, or Rachel since that night, and I don't want to."

"But look at you now. Don't you want Artie to see how well you are doing? You know how he helped me after I was temporarily paralyzed and after he was able to walk again, he came to see me to show how far the both of us had come since my senior and his junior year of high school. Artie is the most forgiving and easy going person I know. Sure he is sexist and can be a jerk, but he truly cares for you or he wouldn't have brought you to me."

"I can't face him or Gayberry. I will die of embarrassment. To see how far I have fallen in life me I am going to do anything for fame, and I ended up a cokehead high price escort and now Quinn Fucking Fabray's servant. I have my pride left if nothing else Quinn."

"So, Santana it's okay for me to come here and live with you all and not run from Sam, but it's not okay for you to face Artie someone who obviously cares for you so much that he brought you to Quinn so that you could get help? I don't understand how you can be so brave for me, and not be so brave for yourself. You are no longer your past Santana Lopez. You are a beautiful, talented woman. Also, I am not coming back to live in New York if you don't promise to become my permanent duet partner while we look for a recording contract here. We are a sister act, and if no record label is smart enough to sign the both us, then Quinn and Puck will help us produce our own music, and we will make it even if we just become a lounge act in Atlantic City on the weekends while I take classes at NYU to become a music teacher another dream of mine that I have given up on and you care for Beth. We are not quitters, we are Trouble Tones, fierce, femme, and phenomenal, and we aren't going to let anybody keep us from reaching our dreams."

Santana started crying ugly tears then when she finally got herself together, she said, "we will finally be the next Salt and Pepa like I always dreamed we would be one day, and then the Latina began rapping "Push It" reminding Mercedes of the first time that she first performed on stage with New Directions in front of an audience. Quinn and Mercedes joined her, and they were doubled-over laughing remembering Kurt's dance routine when they finished performing the song. When they finished laughing, Mercedes mentioned how Artie was going to be upset that he wasn't a part of their impromptu performance.

"So are you going to face Artie and enjoy our mini side-eyeing gleek reunion? Sam also was a giver of the side-eye, he just want be upstairs to fully enjoy the festivities." Quinn said with a snarky tone to her voice.

"Okay, I will do it only because I am afraid of Cedes; I still remember back in the day when she would really get mad and would threaten to take somebody to carpet, and I was afraid she was going to go all "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" on me." Santana said teasingly.

"I was just getting ready to tell Quinn to hold my earrings, but seriously Santana, Quinn told me how Artie was your fairy tale prince who brought you to the kind and just Queen Bee who rescued you and brought out this kinder, gentler, but still cray as hell Santana who I am learning to love even more than the brash, Aretha calling bitch that you once were. If going through extreme pain and embarrassment had given you the humbleness, sweetness, and protectiveness that you now have for your friends, then I can truly see the rainbow that has resulted from this horrific storm in your life. And now I know just what song we need to sing for our opening number for our Atlantic City Lounge act."

"Must be Adele" Santana said as she looked at her friend and was shocked when Mercedes shook her head and began to sing Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger". Santana and Quinn joined her as they sang their hearts outs feeling the words of the song heal their broken souls.

"I don't know why you are worried about Artie anyways. You know that boy has had a not so secret crush on the two of you even before he got with Britt. After you two performed "River Deep, Mountain High," you could have gotten him and most of the guys in Glee who saw your performance do anything you wanted by shaking your asses at them. Artie forgot all about Tina after that and once Britt took his virginity he still wasn't ready to be her boyfriend until Puck led him down that garden path." Quinn told the two. She didn't tell the two how she enjoyed their booty shaking as much as the boys, but she knew Santana and probably even Mercedes were already aware of her fascination over their body parts. She just liked to feel them even if she was a heterosexual who didn't mind experimenting with the same sex from time to time.

"Oh Santana and Artie sitting in the tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G., first you tease Sam with your hot mama sexiness and now you are about to entrance Artie the same way. He will be begging you for mercy just like Sam did." Mercedes teased Santana and was amused to see the young woman actually blushing.

"But I hate Sam, I don't hate Artie, I…" Santana stopped speaking and Mercedes realized that Santana was going to say that she actually liked Artie wow this was definitely not Santana from seven years ago.

Quinn rescued her by reminding them all by reminding them of dinner tomorrow with Artie, and they each headed in their own direction with lots to think about after their eventful day. They all met up again and decided to eat pizza and watch the only movie that all three of them could agree on and that was a musical, with action, and romance and they still couldn't agree on a movie until they put all Quinn's movies that matched the description in a pile and Mercedes blindly picked _Moulin Rouge._

Mercedes took her shower and brushed her teeth and tried to act as if it was any normal day, but she couldn't take her mind off of Sam. She could hear him call her name in his throaty voice over and over. She was tempted to go downstairs and confront him to get the truth out of him or embarrass herself and throw herself at him. The truth was that she didn't know how she would react if she saw him again. She would probably freeze up, and he would laugh at her and tell her that is why he preferred Brittany to her. She was still as inexperienced as she was when she last saw him. He was her only lover and it had been seven years and he had slept with all kinds of women since her. No way in hell would Sam Evans want her, and she would be a fool to want him back after what he did to her and her friends. That's what her mind told her but her body was weak and just remembering the feel of his skin against her fingertips had her unfortunately craving him more than ever before. Forbidden delights were always the sweetest and that is what Sam had just become to her.

* * *

Sam paced the floor of the basement the only two steps forward and two steps back that he was allowed. He must be going out of his mind. Did that Juanita put some drugs in that vile tasting breakfast burrito or did he just have Mercedes Jones sitting beside him pretending to be a white Valley girl named Juliet? He knew it was her or why else would Juanita and Charlotte hurry up and leave the room dragging her with them as they quickly exited once he said her name. He'd give up his fortune to be able to take the blindfold off and see her face to face. But this Cedes wasn't his Mercedes. She had changed. He once placed her own the highest pedestal and thought that no other woman could live up to her. She had loved him when he was broke, tired from working, and worried about his family and his future. She had taken his worries and comforted him and gave him a love that was so powerful that it kept him from falling in love with any of the other girls who tried to step up to him once he got to Kentucky. He admitted to freaking out when he saw that video of her rejection of their relationship on JBI's blog, but when he returned he knew that she was just as perfect, sweet, forgiving, loving, and understanding as he left her. He couldn't help but fight to get her back.

He obviously still felt something for Mercedes even though he didn't know what crazy cult or misguided group of friends she had aligned herself with. He couldn't help remember how he recognized something as soon as she touched his foot, as soon as he heard her disguised voice, and when her fingertips were on his face he knew the touch of those small hands were familiar to him. And for the first time since his first single from his album went platinum, he now had a purpose. He was going to see Mercedes Jones and see if she could reawaken everything that died in him when he unintentionally broke her heart and both literally and figuratively lost his way when he broke his own heart and became a shell of the person that he used to be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge _****or any songs mentioned in this chapter. Thanks for reading and a shout of love to all the new followers and reviewers of this story. Forgive my many grammatical errors! **

Chapter Four

Artie couldn't keep his eyes off of Santana throughout the meal. He couldn't believe how she had changed in such a short time. When he last seen her, she couldn't have weighed more than 80 pounds, and now she looked to be almost 50 pounds heavier and healthier. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes alit with happiness, and her sense of humor was back with a vengeance. He was so happy that Quinn was able to help her. Quinn at the time was not at her best either, and just as he rightly thought the two ladies used each other's situations to help each other heal. Quinn was so private that he never knew what she was going through, but he was glad that Santana's presence in her home had resulted in the two now being in the best physical and mental condition that he could remember seeing them in.

Artie had surprised everyone and brought Mike Chang along with him for his visit. Mercedes hadn't spared Mike a glance, but she could tell he still looked as handsome as sin from the times she did look in his direction throughout the meal. Mike had been a good friend to her, but as soon as he reunited with Tina, it was like she didn't exist for the couple anymore. Mercedes didn't blame Mike for not keeping up with their friendship while he tried to juggle his long distance relationship with Tina, dancing with the Joffrey Ballet, and his studies, but their brief closeness had petered out throughout the years.

Apparently Mike had come to New York City because he was choreographing a video for Jake Puckerman. The two had begun a friendship many years ago, and now that Jake was a successful artist like Artie and Sam, he needed Mike's services. When Mike and Mercedes greeted each other, Mercedes could read something was off in the way that he greeted her compared to the way he greeted Quinn and Santana.

Mercedes didn't worry about it for long. Her thoughts were running with Artie's current conversation. His bringing up Sam's name brought a chill through Mercedes' spine. What if the two men find out that they had kidnapped Sam and were keeping him hostage? And although Artie and Mike were both of their friends, they were Sam's bros and didn't bros come before hoes? Mercedes was driving herself crazy thinking these thoughts so she tried to concentrate on her meal and listen to the story Puck was telling the fellows on how he was able to survive living in a "hen house".

When Mercedes saw Santana laughing at something Puck at said, her attention was once again drawn to her. Mercedes could tell that although Santana was a lesbian, she had feelings for Artie, and it seems as if she was enjoying Artie's company immensely. Soon dinner was over, and Artie was begging Mercedes and Santana to sing once the guys found out that the two of them were going to start performing as a duo. Artie begged them to let him manage them having already picked out the perfect name for the duo, S&M, which caused the guys to holler in laughter and the girls to curse his ass out.

Puck got up and got his guitar when the duo agreed to sing, and Santana suddenly began to sing Florence and the Machine's "Shake it Out" a capella and Quinn surprised them by singing the part that Tina sang so many years before with Puck accompanying them with guitar and then Mercedes immediately picked up the next verse up after her. Then the three continued to sing the song in front of the guys who had never heard the three of them perform the song before.

Artie couldn't imagine hearing a better rendition of the song. The girls were obviously singing about something that happened to them personally, and he wished that they were truly able to shake whatever it was that had caused them sadness completely off. He wanted to produce the three as a trio as the next big then in girl groups, but he knew Quinn Fabray loved her daughter and practicing the law, and that she would never give up her passions to become a recording artist. And Artie knew Quinn wasn't as strong as a singer as the other two. She had a great voice, but Santana and Mercedes both had voices that caused him to lift praise hands.

Even though Artie could admit to being attracted to all three women, it was something about Santana that kept drawing his eye. She was the total opposite of him in many ways, but he couldn't help himself from thinking at that moment after singing that song that she was the most beautiful woman in the room.

Mike was the first to speak to break the silence that accompanied the end of that amazing performance. "Wow, words can't express how awesome you three sounded. Your voices are better than most of the recording artists that are now the top artists in the industry, and to do what you three just did live without any practice was simply mind-blowing."

Artie and Puck quickly agreed with Mike as they all left the dining room to go into the den. Artie took his attention off of Santana to notice the new portrait that Quinn had hanging on her walls of Beth. "How is Beth doing, Quinn?" he asked over his coffee cup.

Quinn smiled as her eyes softened and her smile became brighter. "She is doing well. She is staying with her grandparents for a couple more weeks before coming home the week of Christmas. I miss her, but I know from our nightly Skype sessions that she is having a wonderful time being spoiled rotten and playing with her cousins. There are no children to play with here, and she only gets to spend time with some of her friends from children's church and her playgroup on the weekends."

"Why don't you go and join her then if you miss her so much?" Artie asked Quinn realizing this is the first time that Quinn had been away from her daughter for such a prolonged time.

"I would have to be a glutton for punishment to want to be around my mother for a prolonged amount of time especially since she remarried my dear father. The only good thing that came out of their reconciliation was he no longer had to pay her alimony, and she no longer drinks. Their favorite topic of conversation is when am I getting married again or when am I adding a grandson to the family. So as much as I love them, I have no desire to be around them longer than it takes to drop Beth off and to pick her up." Quinn confessed.

"How old is Beth now Quinn?" Mike asked looking at the picture. He hadn't seen the child since Finn's funeral when she was a baby.

"She is almost four years old now. She is quite tall for her age. She speaks fluent Spanish thanks to Santana and tries to be a big girl all the time. Puck has her spoiled, but he claims that means she is well-loved; he doesn't know this but I know he sneaks her candy, allows her to play video games, and gives into her every little demand. That is why I want Mercedes to live with us and be the bad guy with me because between Puck and Santana treating her like a princess, I am the only one who tells the little girl no."

"Oh, the truth comes out now. How do you know I won't have problems telling her no?"

"Oh, I remember how you would join me when I babysat Stevie and Stacy. You never had any problems telling the adorable Stacy no when I would fall for her pouting face."

Puck noticed Mercedes' crestfallen face at the memory which had to involve Sam and rescued her by telling everyone how Mercedes also babysat his sister Sarah and had no trouble telling her no either. He then went on to recount how he had fallen asleep and two of them had put every barrette and bow that Sarah had on his head when he had come home exhausted after cleaning pools and fell asleep on them while they were watching a movie. Mercedes had taken a picture on her cell phone and waited until she had gotten home to text him the picture which caused him to wake up and to run to the mirror in horror. This caused everybody to burst out laughing.

"I had to bribe Mercedes with that fact that I would never dump Kurt in the dumpster or slushy another person the rest of my high school career to get her to agree to delete the picture." Puck admitted after the laughter had died down.

"What Puck didn't know was that I wasn't going to ever embarrass him by showing that picture to anyone outside of Glee anyways, but when he promised to stop being a vicious bully, the reason why I broke up with him in the first place, I deleted the picture and hadn't thought about it again until he brought it up tonight." Mercedes smiled knowing why Puck changed the subject, and she was grateful to him.

The conversation continued to flow around her, but Mercedes couldn't get Sam off of her mind. She knew Puck was the only person to go downstairs to see him, and she could only imagine how their conversation went with Sam identifying her and wanting to confirm his suspicions which after their absence today only solidified Sam's conclusions.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Mike approaching her. "You look as if you are a million miles away from here." He observed breaking her out of her reverie.

"Oh, Mike I am sorry were you talking me?" Mercedes asked as she licked her sudden dry lips and tried to concentrate on what he was saying.

"You don't have to apologize Mercedes; I must admit my mind was wandering too, so what were you thinking about?"

Mercedes couldn't tell him the truth so she just said the first thing that popped into her mind. "I am thinking about how hard it is going to be to move here from LA. I mean the winters are never this cold, and the only thing I didn't miss about Lima is the snow."

Mike looked at her as if he didn't believe her but was too much of a gentleman to pry. "Well, I have to travel both coasts not as much as when I was a dancer and on tour, now that I am a choreographer, I get to primarily be wherever the artist is from. Most of the time that's in New York or LA, but sometimes I get to go to Atlanta, and I tell you I would prefer the coldness of New York to the heat of a Georgian summer. It is scorching down there from May to September."

"So, where is your home if you split your time between the two places so much?" Mercedes asked Mike.

"I bum with friends when I am in New York. Right now I am staying with Artie, but I have stayed with Rachel, Kurt, and Marley and Jake. I have a condo in LA that I am rarely at, but it's my permanent residence."

"Wow just think we were both in California and never ran in too each other, and now we meet up together in New York, what are the odds of that happening?"

"Well, I am glad that I was visiting the city while you were here. Would you like to go with me tomorrow while I choreograph Jake's routine? I remember you encouraging me to work with him for your first video." Mike said not realizing he was putting his foot in his mouth.

Mercedes shut down at the memory of how close she was to stardom and how she let her morals prevent her from taking the easy and sleazy way to the top. Mercedes was saved from continuing her conversation with Mike when she heard Quinn asking Artie about Sam Evans.

"What you say Sam texted you a week ago and told you that he was going to a cabin in Tennessee to write some more music for his next album? Isn't it unusual for him to be off for so long and alone?" Quinn asked Artie in a loud voice drawing everyone's attention.

"Yes, apparently he had emailed his contacts and told them that he needed some time to recharge his creative juices. One night he was out with me and Jake and he acted real odd as if he was just tired of the night life. I guess he needed to take a break; he's been working nonstop since he recorded his first album two years ago."

"Whatever, what has Kurt and Rachel been up too?" Quinn asked to change the subject. She was relieved that paying one of her old clients to hack into Sam's email account and send those emails before his disappearance had covered up their tracks. Puck using Sam's phone to text Sam's close contacts notifying them about his self-imposed exile also helped to prevent anyone from being suspicious about his absence. Puck told her he used the same password that Sam had used his senior year of high school and was instantly able to use Sam's phone. When Quinn asked him what the password was, Puck refused to tell her.

They continued to talk about their old show choir crew, and Mike mentioned that he had tickets to a revival of _Wicked _that Rachel Berry was starring in and asked the ladies and Puck would they all be willing to go and see it. Quinn quickly said that they would all go with him and see it tomorrow night which caused Mercedes and Santana both to shudder. Neither wanted to see Rachel Berry, but Quinn felt that they needed socialize to keep up appearance sake, and the two had little choice but to blindly follow her lead.

Before they left the guys hugged the girls and Puck. Mike surprised Mercedes by grabbing her hand and kissing it which caused a slow heat to blossom in her face. Mike leaned down to tell her in an amazed voice, "I do believe Mercedes Jones is blushing."

This statement caused Mercedes to nervously laugh and finally cemented something in her brain, Mike Chang had spent the evening flirting with her, but she had been too wrapped up in her thoughts of Sam to fully notice.

* * *

Sam spent the evening in the basement fuming mad. He was given a short candle that would remain lit for probably a couple of hours and a book to read and cold sandwiches and chips to eat for dinner with bottled water. He had one hand free to turn the pages of the book and to feed himself. Obviously the Frenchman was not coming back down as he had left one match to light the tiny candle, and Sam was finally able to see his surroundings and read some of the pages of the book before falling asleep from boredom.

That night when the Frenchman finally came downstairs to untie his other hand He decided to have fun and tease him. He knew that the man wasn't interesting in Juanita, and if he had sense he would stay the hell away from Mercedes so that left Charlotte that the man had to be interested in. "So, you live in a house with three women that I have more than likely slept with at one time of another, so they must all be smoking hot. How do you keep yourself from seducing them?" Sam waited and wasn't surprised when the Frenchman refused to answer him.

Sam tried a new way to get underneath the man's skin. "So you are fucking Charlotte." Again Sam was met with silence as the Frenchman busied himself with emptying Sam's chamber pot and filling it with a little water which made it easy to clean out. He also put a little Pine Sol in it so that the smell wouldn't linger.

Sam didn't stop messing with the Frenchman. He continued to taunt him. "Charlotte, I wish I could remember how good she was between the sheets. But I believe I found her to be quite boring to not even remember fucking her." Sam said hearing the Frenchman curse under his breath and walked up the stairs and slammed the door behind him.

Sam was surprised when the Frenchman returned later to finish his duties. "I bet it is awful having to bed the Ice Queen," Sam told him picking up where he left off. "But I bet she pays you well for your services, doesn't she, Frenchie?"

Sam could feel the anger radiating off the man. "Tell me who she is, and I could give you some suggestions on how to completely thaw her out in bed. I am sure she can be quite the wildcat if you want to hear some of the ways that I am successful in making the stuck-up bitches scream my name over and over again."

Puck didn't think; he grabbed Sam by the top of the wife beater tank top that he wore lifting him off of the chaise lounge. "You will regret that you ever said those words monsieur, I promise that you will take back every word you say and pay for those insults." Puck dropped him back in the chair and quickly left the room leaving Sam downstairs the remainder of the night.

The next morning Sam rubbed his abused neck and looked up to the ceiling. He could hear the vaguest of sounds and smell the odors of the food which were making his stomach growl. Sam wondered what Cedes was up to. She was up there, and he couldn't get her out his mind. One name kept coming back to him as slept and when he woke: Mercedes.

Sam wanted to stroke her, to see her, and to hear voice as he talked to her. He wondered what she looked like after all these years. Was she still fond of loud prints and jeggings? He wondered about her hair was it short or was it long. The last time he saw a glimpse of her was at the funeral, and they were both too overcome with grief to speak. He tried to ignore her presence as always to ease his guilty conscience. The only time he acknowledged her presence was when she had gotten the recording contract and was about to drop her CD because he was just too proud of her to not say anything. And when she hugged him while they were singing and chose to stand beside him that had made his day he felt like they could start over as friends. When he stopped by her house that night to speak to her, he was shocked when her father opened the door and told him that Mercedes never wanted to see him again. Something turned off in Sam when he heard that news.

Then to top it all off Britt came back and dumped him. Sam felt like he was worthless not worthy of love from anyone because he went all out while romancing Brittany even almost risked getting shot to try to rescue her when there was a shooting in the school, but still she dumped him. No girl was ever dumping him again, he would forget her, and forget Mercedes, too. He remembered being so angry at Brittany that he convinced her that because she was a part of the Rapture Club that she was a Christian. And as a Christian she could love gays and lesbians, but she could never be a part of the homosexual lifestyle, or she would miss out on being raptured. Fooling Britt was as easy as ever. By the time, he finished filling her head with things he didn't even believe, the girl was convinced that she couldn't love Santana and had to marry a guy so that she didn't get left behind. He then reinvented himself as Sam Evans the Panty Dropper. Girls always wanted guys like the Puckermans who would treat them like dirt and keep them wanting more. So, after that day Sam realized he became the type of man that his father and mother never wanted him to be. He was a player and pussy hound who went through only the hottest girls, and he only left them begging for more.

Now Sam felt guilty for his actions. Just because Britt bruised his ego, he shouldn't have lied to her and used her gullibility to keep her from happily reuniting with Santana. He realized that in convincing Brittany to never get back with Santana that he was also getting revenge on Santana another girl who had used him and dumped him at the same time. At the time he relished hurting the girl like she had hurt him over the years, but now he only felt guilt. Thinking back on the other members of New Directions, Sam quickly realized that he sought out Quinn and romanced her to prove that he could get her to fall in love with him and although he hadn't meant to hit and quit it, he knew deep in his heart that he could never love and would never marry her. However, he felt justified in his actions because she was the first person to break his heart even though it was puppy love at the time.

Sam felt bad for his actions, but his thoughts couldn't linger on all the mistakes he had made. His thoughts kept going back to Mercedes. Her soft skin, her curves, her smile that could light up the darkest room, that laugh he hadn't heard in years that made whatever painful moment or difficulty that he was experiencing melt away into oblivion. Their dates were always epic. Everything with Mercedes from their first kiss and date in New York, to his putting her names in lights, and all of their prom dates had been the stuff of fairytales. He couldn't get how that wonderful person loved him so unconditionally. Even when she sang "I Will Always Love You" to him he could see her pain as tears streamed down his own face. Mercedes was the only girl to make him cry, and he hated that he had broken her heart.

He wondered if the words of the song still held true. He knew that no matter how much he tried to deny the fact that he would always love her. But the woman who had agreed to kidnap him and lock him up in a basement could not love him anymore. She had to have hated him pretty much because of him she had lost her family according to Quinn and was barely making a living in LA still working as a background singer at some record label. She was the one with tremendous talent but look at what she had become. She had a reason to hate him look at what he had become. The cream rising to the top that he compared her to must feel like a lie to her when he was the sour milk enjoying success.

Sam groaned as he realized the mistakes that he had made. He was willing to do anything to go back in time and change his actions, but he knew that Mercedes Jones would never forgive him. He knew he would never feel her arms around him or gentle kisses ever again. With that thought Sam began to groan as he realized just how empty his life was.

* * *

Mercedes got up that morning and cooked a big breakfast of bacon, homemade biscuits, omelets, and oatmeal. For the first time since being in New York she had woke up hungry and decided to cook to fulfill her returning appetite."Mercedes I do believe you must be like Stella and have gotten your groove back." Quinn teased when she saw that Mercedes had prepared a breakfast reminiscent of the type of food that she used to cook whenever Quinn lived with her family.

"You think?" Mercedes said as she fixed her plate and sat down to join Santana and Quinn at the table.

"I do believe a certain tall Asian dancer flirting with her last night might have something to do with the spring that is now in our Cedes' step."

"Really, I didn't notice you and Mike were getting along that well. You know he's single and every bit as player as the rest of those guys after he and Tina finally called it quits three years ago. Do you think that Mike is hot, Mercedes?"

Mercedes pretended to be so involved in her food and chewing that she couldn't answer Quinn, but Santana quickly spoke up, "You were too busy trying to grill Artie about Sam and pretending to be interested in the lives of our old classmates to notice that Mike Chang's eyes rarely left Mercedes, and she encouraged his attention at one point I was almost sure she was flirting back at him."

"Santana you need to stop lying. I didn't flirt with Mike at all. I only politely engaged him in conversation while the two of you were so busy being consumed by Artie."

"I wasn't so consumed by Artie that I didn't notice the looks that Mike Chang was giving you, and those looks were telling you that he wanted to excuse my language fuck you. He was eye sexing you all evening trying to get and keep your attention. He didn't plan on inviting us all to theater tonight. He only wanted to invite Mercedes and then invite her to his bed. Quinn you should have watched his hands it was if he was trying to keep himself from touching her especially rubbing on that ass that I saw him bite his lip when she turned around to leave the dining room table. He walked behind her the entire time his eyes never leaving her booty."

"Santana!" Mercedes screamed her name to get her to stop; she was embarrassing her.

"He wants to get in your panties, girl, and you are so clueless that you couldn't pick up on any of the signs. Don't worry I shall teach you how to pleasure him and give him a night he will never forget."

Quinn rescued Mercedes because she could see that Santana was about to get out of hand. "Well Mike Chang. He is now a bit of a lady's man, but he's rich. He invested all of his money in the right stocks and now his dad is glad that his son didn't go to medical school. Mike has made a success of his life, and he is very handsome, polite, and I do remember him kissing your hand last night, so I do believe Santana is right. You could do much worse than allow Mike Chang to be the one to deliver you from your drought.

"Oh, Quinn and you too, I thought you were my sister and on my side." Mercedes whined as she realized having Mike Chang interested in her was not a bad thing. She thought he was flirting with her, and she enjoyed it. But the things Santana noticed were just so far-fetched that Mercedes was having a hard time wrapping her mind around it.

"He is a very sexy, rich, talented, nice, and handsome man." Quinn continued smiling brightly. "If he offered me the opportunity to see if he made love as well as he danced, I would jump all on the chance and him before he could finish propositioning me."

Mercedes buried her face in her hands. Now this was going a little too far. "I hope you are both enjoying teasing me, but I have no desire to jump Mike Chang's bones no matter how attractive we all agree that he is."

"Oh so you agree that he is attractive. I want to know why the hell you won't give that a man a little of your good good Cedes. You are both single and free and you owe it to yourself to get a little in and see what you have been missing. Who knows you might get Chang addicted to you, and you may end up marrying the dude. He seems to be the type of dude who would be possessive and not be willing to let you go."

"I don't think it would be wise to be any type of relationship with any friend of Sam's. We still don't know how this is all going to go down, and if Mike and Sam are as close as I think they are, then it would be very uncomfortable for me to be around them both in the future."

"I hadn't thought of that, but don't count Mike out; you could take a page out of Sam's book and just use him for sex. I am sure Mike won't turn down your offer if you choose to use him for a couple nights of hot, sweaty sex. It probably is just what you need to get those cobwebs out of that kitty cat of yours."

"Santana, you are just too outrageous for words." Mercedes said as a knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Quinn went to go answer the door while Santana continued to speak her thoughts on how good she was willing to bet Mike was as a lover.

Quinn had bought a box to Santana and on top of the box was a note from Artie. When Santana opened the box and a gorgeous red dress came out. All the girls were shocked. Inside the box was another note from Artie that Santana read aloud. "I hope that you will wear this tonight to the theater. It is time for Snixx to make her appearance in New York City."

"Santana you must not wear this dress. Artie was wrong to send it to you." Quinn told her friend looking at the expensive bit of scarlet fabric.

"Why not Quinn, I do believe I would love gorgeous in it, and Artie is right if I got to see Gayberry tonight, I should look better than ever." Santana argued thinking she had just the right shoes and accessories to look on fire tonight. "Besides you know that the paparazzi are going to be there, and Mercedes and I want to get into the industry, and this dress would draw everybody's attention to me, and Artie will wisely use that opportunity to get our names out in the public eye."

"Santana, you can't be that blind. Artie wants you, and that dress is step one in his seduction of you. I can't believe that you were so wrapped up in Mike's lustful glances at Mercedes that you didn't notice that Artie could barely keep his eyes off of you, and you don't do men. So, don't string him along like you are doing Sam; he's too good a guy for you to do that."

"I have only been with three girls. I admit to being in love with Brittany, but since she broke my heart, I haven't had a real desire for any other girl in that way. Sure I am still attracted to women, but I realized that I was bisexual a long time ago, I just didn't want my parents and family to hope that I would end up with a guy, but I must admit that I knew I was bi when Sam came back and did that magic sex dance at Sectionals, and I knew then that guys still had the ability to turn me on, and I know I'm attracted to Artie."

"Santana, I think you see Artie as some kind of prince who helped to rescue to you. What you are feeling is gratitude don't confuse the two." Quinn warned her.

"Quinn because of what Artie did for me I would never play with his emotions, and I don't understand why I want him now or relish in the attention that he is giving me. I do, however, know I would like to run with it. He knows my past as a coked out prostitute and still treats me as if I never made those horrible mistakes. I don't know another man who would be so awesome. And if he wants all up on my lovely lady humps, then I will give him something that he would never forget." Santana admitted.

A pained looked crossed Quinn's face; she had to know why Santana was willing to risk getting involved with Artie when Quinn knew it wouldn't end well. One of them was going to get their heart broken.

"When Artie saw me in my condition, I was so high that I told him everything about Britt's rejection of me something that was kind of uncomfortable considering our past, and Sam's part in her rejection, and how I just wanted to die. Artie told me that I couldn't that people loved me and that I was worthy of love before he brought me to you. And Quinn you were the truth behind Artie's words. You two were the reason I found the strength to go to rehab to decide to become clean and stay off of drugs. I knew I had your friendship because you two were there for me when I thought no one would care. And a year later when we started to plot our revenge, I realized that I had begun to heal so much that the thought of touching Sam intimately didn't make we want to puke. I'm not saying I am ready to marry Artie and have his babies, but I am ready to live again and experience being wanted by someone who I know would never intentionally hurt me."

Quinn didn't agree that Santana should allow herself to be pursued by Artie, but she would no longer try to discourage her friend. The future was uncertain for them all, and who was she to judge anybody considering her own twisted secret relationship with Puck.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge _or any movies mentioned in this chapter****. Thanks for reading and much love to all the new followers of this story. Forgive my many grammatical errors. And I just realized because I put my AU take on Glee in this story, that I might have to make this story ten chapters instead of seven I got wordy again so please excuse the excessive usage of words. **

Chapter Five

"Good evening, Sam." She greeted Sam as she made her presence in the basement known to the perpetual sleeping man. One would think the man hadn't had a good night's rest in years.

"About damn time that you came down to check on your prisoner Ms. Charlotte, you say that it is evening, but it could be morning for all I know with this damned blindfold on my eyes."

"You don't have to hold back your anger with me, Sam, say what is truly on your mind"

"Believe me Charlotte you don't want to hear everything that is in my heart. I don't think a fine lady such as yourself could stomach what I have been thinking or feeling."

"Well according to the gentleman who sees to your needs, you have been quite vocal, and I thank you for respecting my sensibilities enough to not express the extent of your hatred towards me, but you know why I must make you continue to wear that blindfold."

"I know that I would be able to identify you if I saw you. Well Charlotte, I have already identified one of you vindictive shrews. It is only a matter of time before I find out the identity of you and that cock teasing Juanita."

"Do you really think we are so stupid that we will allow you to easily guess our identities?"

Sam paused as recognition flashed through his mind but it fled before Sam could remember exactly who this haughty woman reminded him off. He thought it was Kitty. but Kitty wasn't smart enough or likeable enough for Mercedes to join forces with her to torment Sam. But, he knew he knew this woman well. He smiled at her and laid back on the lounge. "You won't be able to stop me from guessing who you are. I may be pretty, but I am far from the idiot that you and your friends believe me to be. Look, how easily I discovered who Cedes really was."

"Who is this Sadie person and why do you claim Juliet has something of hers. You mention Sadie's something to us the last time we were down here, and we were sure you were losing your mind. They do say sensory deprivation can cause a person to see, to smell, and to hear things that are not there."

"Stop acting like you don't know I am not referring to a Sadie but to C. E. D. E. S. I know you can read, but I figured I should help you out by spelling out her name."

"That is not a name I am familiar with. I can honestly say I don't know anybody who has that name it is highly unusual."

Sam gritted his teeth and knew that Charlotte wouldn't roll over like he would have liked and admitted to him guessing Cedes' identify. "Mercedes Jones. The name of the lady who has washed my body with her tiny petite hands and have shaved my face the only time I have allowed it be shaved since I have been here, and the woman who I recognized the day before yesterday. Where the hell is she? What is she afraid of?"

Charlotte sighed at the vehement tone that Sam was using as he worked himself up into a frenzy talking about Mercedes. "I'm sure you must have been dreaming because I don't have a clue about what you are talking about. I thought you were more mentally stable than this. It has only been a week, and you are already broken. We may have to rethink how we have been treating you."

"Do not play with me lady; I am not crazy, and I know Mercedes is somewhere in this house."

Quinn got up to touch him to distract him. She grabbed the guitar that was beside him. "Have you written any songs why you have been down here Sam? I must admit that I thought we would all have songs written about us now, but I see your asking for the guitar was just a waste of time and a way of seeing just how nice I was in giving in to your demand."

"Oh, trying to change the conversation Charlotte. Well, if you must know since I don't have paper or pencil to write down the words or notes that I compose without enough light to see what I would have written songwriting has lost all of his former appeal to me."

"Well, I will make sure that I bring you another book to read while we are out tonight so that you won't be so bored. But I am sure you haven't finished the first book have you Sam?"

"You know me so well Charlotte the book put me to sleep so quickly that I think I shall write a review as soon as I leave so that people who suffer from insomnia could buy it and experience instant relief. Now I really need to contact my parents, I never go this long without calling them and I do have business concerns that I must see to."

"Oh, Sam, don't worry everything has been taking care of. Your parents and friends believe you are in a cabin snowed in deep in the TennesseeMountains without any electricity and without the ability to contact them until the weather improves. How fortuitous is was for us that a blizzard occurred in the place, and all they have had is a text and an email from you notifying them that you are okay, but that your cell phone battery would be dying soon and as soon as electricity is restored you would be contacting them.

Hearing this sent a chill down Sam's spine. How much did these women know of his life, and how connected were they to him that they could access his phone and email and think of an elaborate plan such as this to hide his kidnapping? He pretended to not be impressed as he congratulated Charlotte on thinking of everything. "Since I am going to be here a while do you think you could improve on the quality of food I have been receiving. I smelled a delightful Southern breakfast that I am sure you prepared and not that atrocious Juanita, and I wouldn't mind if you were willing to allow me to have some delightful food while I am down here."

And Cedes he would like to smell her and taste her like he would like to do that food he mentioned. The first time he had kissed her, he realized that she had the sweetest lips imaginable her lip gloss was plentiful as his lip chap. Their lips, always clung together after they kissed like neither one was willing to let the other go. He was addicted to her taste and texture. He couldn't even kiss her in public because it always resulted in him having an instant erection. He remembered how long it took him to coax her to allow him to get to third base with her. When he realized how her lower lips tasted even better than the lips on her mouth, he became addicted to eating her out daily. He didn't even care about his own needs just hearing her cum while he savored her taste was enough to make his 17 year old self very happy. Then, the next summer after prom in which she had allowed him to enter her small tight vagina was one in which he would never forget. He was so nervous, but the end result was so good that he realized after having slept with that floozy who he couldn't even remember her name that nobody else was made for his body like his Cedes. He would keep eating the crappy food they were serving him if he could see her, touch her, hear her, or God forbid feast upon her naked body.

"Sam, did you hear what I just said. I don't know where your thoughts were taking you, but if your glazed eyes, labored breaths, and erection are any indications, I would like to know how telling you how you didn't even deserve the food we feed you caused the reaction that you are now displaying. So, glad I now have your attention. Have you ever thought about what the ladies you have used and discarded have had to eat after your vile treatment of them? I tell you Juanita and Juliet both have had to do without the scrumptious meals that you are now not being allowed to eat because of your actions. I was lucky that I didn't have to experience what they did, but I feel no sympathy for your lack of sweet pies, cakes, and other treats that you no doubt think a prisoner is worthy of dining on."

Sam's curse that he was about to utter never left his mouth when he heard how Juliet which was his Cedes had gone without good food because of his actions. Part of him remembered Quinn telling him how Cedes struggled in LA without her father's assistance; he didn't realize she had had to do without her favorite foods because she was too stubborn to break up with him and put her LA dreams on hold and cater to her father's demands. It was all Sam's fault: the record contract, getting caught after having sex with her by her mother, he just couldn't keep his hands off her. If Sam had never interfered, who and what would Mercedes Jones be right now? He didn't want to think of these things or give Charlotte the pleasure of once again breaking him, so he hardened his face to say, "I never meant to cause anyone intentional pain."

"I believe you have self-deluded yourself Sam, but the problem is that you have caused a lot of people pain whether you intended to do so or not."

Sam shook his head not willing to hear any more from Charlotte. She was causing his depression to return and he couldn't go through that dark period of his life again for anyone.

"You didn't appreciate what a woman was giving to you every time she spread her legs for you. You should have read the book Sam. When a woman gives herself to a man she is allowing herself to be vulnerable to be a receptor and share herself completely and fully. Yes, we like to delude ourselves into thinking that we can have sex without emotions like guys, but this is not true. Whenever a girl has sex more than one time with a guy she likes, she becomes emotional tied to him in some way, and when the guy acts as if she doesn't matter and treats her like a prostitute or his own personal play thing that he can put away without any feelings, this hurts Sam. We gave our bodies as gifts to you someone we desired and trusted, and what did you do with the gifts that have been ill advisedly given to you? You treated them as cheap, disposable presents, and that is why all women seem cheap to you; it's because of the way you treat them."

Sam no longer wanted to argue with Charlotte All he wanted was Cedes. He hoped that isn't what Cedes thought of their relationship. He never wanted her to feel cheap. She was the best thing that ever happened to him. He loved her and told her how much he loved her when he was deep inside of her. Sam wanted Cedes. All he could picture in his mind was the way she looked the last time she told him she loved him the love in her eyes. Cedes, Cedes, Cedes her name echoed through his mind.

"You don't value women Sam. What you do and how you behave diminishes the true worth of a good woman."

Sam didn't know what tangent Charlotte was on now, but if anybody's worth had been diminished it was his own. He didn't respect himself so how could he respect and value others. He no longer cared about the past all he wanted was Cedes. "Bring Cedes to me Charlotte, please."

"What in the world are you talking about Sam?"

"I need to see Cedes. I have to explain to her…"

Charlotte interrupted him before he could continue, "There is no Cedes here, Sam"

Sam lunged to his feet causing the chains in the wall to groan and he got up and screamed. "Don't say that. You know that isn't true. I know that she is here, let me see her, let me talk to her."

"Who is this Cedes that you are so fixated on?" Charlotte asked him in a voice that was gentled as if he she was talking to a child. "

Sweat poured down Sam's face as he yelled, "Bring her to me!" And when she asked him how could she bring him somebody that she didn't even know? Sam became more enraged as he tried to throw his body against her to get her to do what he wanted.

"What do you think body slamming me is going accomplish. This is not a wrestling match between us, stop behaving like a child Sam." Charlotte admonished him not afraid of a tied, bound, and blindfolded Sam Evans.

"Just bring Cedes to me Charlotte that is all I need." Sam tried once again to appeal to her better nature seeing nothing ruffled the Ice Queen's feathers.

"I am sorry, we ladies, have a big night on the town to prepare for her. You should really use your emotions and write some songs. I will have someone bring you some paper and a pencil so you can compose a song hopefully not a love song to Cedes but maybe a catchy tune to show your appreciation for our hospitality."

"Don't push me Charlotte." Sam growled as he heard her go up the stairs leading her further away from him. He heard the door being locked as her response.

* * *

Mercedes and Santana had gone shopping while Quinn was downstairs with Sam. Mercedes hadn't packed anything to wear to the theater, and Santana had decided to treat her new singing partner with a dress that would be as equally fierce as hers to wear that night. They had decided on the traditional little black dress so Mercedes could wear it on more than one occasion and the dress was similar to Santana in that it was strapless, but it was made out of much more material. Mercedes loved the corseted top of the dress and the ballerina inspired tulle material of the flared out bottom of the dress that hid her plump tummy but emphasized her generous behind.

By the time the two had returned from their shopping trip, they only had enough time to do their hair, make up their faces, and put on their shoes and accessories before hearing the doorbell ringing. Thank goodness Puck and Quinn were already ready and were able to invite Mike and Artie in. Mercedes was just putting the final touches of her make-up, when Quinn and Santana burst into her room. Quinn had handed Mercedes a long white box wrapped in purple ribbons.

Mercedes looked at her hands as if she was offering her a snake. "I don't want it, send it back." She told her friends not even bothering to look and see who the gift was from.

"You don't even know who it's from; why would you want to return it?" Quinn asked her confused.

"I supposed you are both going to tell me it comes from my fairy godmother?" Mercedes responded waspishly.

Santana shrugged, "You are the one always watching Cinderella with Brandy and Whitney; so who is to say that you don't have your very own fairy godmother, too."

"Well, there is no need to wonder who it is from Mike handed it to me so that I could give it to you before we left tonight to go to the theater." Quinn said not bothering to beat around the bush.

"I don't care if it was from Artie or Puck. I don't want any gifts. It is not my birthday, and you and I both know that a man gives gifts to show his interests, and I am telling Mike that I don't return his." Mercedes said not taking her eyes of the box.

"Please, let us at least open in. I don't think I can stand the mystery surrounding what the gift is if you don't open it to let us know what you are turning down, girl." Santana begged Mercedes looking at her with puppy dog eyes.

"No, and that is all I want to hear on the subject of the box." Mercedes said with a tone of voice that her friends knew meant she was not going to budge. "Please send it back down now, Quinn, I don't think I can stomach looking at it any longer." Mercedes said remembering the last time she got dressed up and received a similar shaped box with the identical purple ribbons. It was her senior prom night with Sam. Sam was ruining her life. He had ruined her for anyone else. No matter what she did with Mike, she would always compare him to that lying bastard. She thought as she closed her eyes and continued to slowly breathe, so she would be calm enough to enjoy the night with her friends. Mike was a friend and that is all that he would ever be.

* * *

Sam couldn't stop thinking about Cedes while she was getting ready to leave with the other girls for a night on the town. He remembered the evening when her father told him that she never wanted to see him again. How he noticed from the expression on Mr. Jones' face that something was not right. Mercedes SUV wasn't even in the driveway. The family had a two car garage, and Mercedes vehicle was always parked in the same spot whenever she was home.

He remembered the last conversation that they had when he told her he wanted to break up with her. He vaguely remembered her saying something about her father, but he had cut her off. He only wanted the best for her and a held back guy with no sure future who was living with friends was not the best thing for her at the time. He had believed Mr. Jones lies, but he shouldn't ever have lied to her. They promised each other that they wouldn't cheat or lie to each other. He pledged his love, fidelity, and honesty to her when she agreed to give him a second chance after she pledged her love, fidelity, and honesty to him to prove that she wouldn't do to him what she did to Shane. And he forgot his pledge and lied because he thought it was for her good. He should have been honest.

When he met up with Quinn a couple years after Finn's death, he had talked to her about all their old friends. When Quinn told him how Mercedes' dad her disown her and wouldn't even speak to her years after the whole LA thing, Sam's curiosity was piqued. He questioned more of his friends and found out through Kurt what had really happened the night she had called him. She had chosen him and as a consequence had lost her father's love and a place in his home. The reason she always was with Mike when she came home was because she was staying with her aunt who stayed next door to Mike's family. There was never any reason to take two cars to school when they were both going in the same direction so they carpooled. Mercedes had revealed to Kurt and Mike all her problems, and they had helped during her rough time especially after her record label dropped her. But after so many years, people lost touch, and he never realized how awful her life was.

Mercedes was born to love people and to help people, but who had loved her and helped her in her true time of need. He remembered how worn out he would be after work, and how she would pick him up from the hotel, and they would go to the lake and she would have their blanket, and she would sit down and he would sit down and lay his head down on her lap. She would rub her fingers through his hair and massage his scalp. She would get him so relax that he wall fall asleep on her waking up when she nudged him telling him it was getting close to her curfew.

Sam would then roll her over and look in her big eyes and would kiss her as he got up and helped her up and they would walk hand in hand together to her car putting the blanket in the back, and he would drive himself to the motel, and she would get out and kiss him goodnight as they exchanged seats whispering words of love and encouragement to him. Who had been there to whisper words of love and encouragement to her during her difficult and stressful times? Where was she tonight? Sam couldn't stop his brain from being consumed with thoughts of her, so he did what he had done every night since he discovered her identity willed himself to sleep to dream of the days of when they were together.

* * *

Mike had gotten a stretch limo that comfortably seated all six of them. Santana sat in the middle with Quinn seated on the other side of Santana on the bench seat facing the guys. Puck was the party animal and tried to lift everybody's mood as Artie tried to flirt with Santana, and Mercedes was determined to ignore Mike and look at her phone as much as possible to keep their eye contact at a minimal. She could feel his eyes on her, but she knew that he would be too polite to say anything to make her feel uncomfortable.

Soon they were at the theater, and the paparazzi was taking pictures, and Artie true to his word introduced Santana and Mercedes as the newest artists that he was working with in developing their debut album. Artie had his hands around Santana, and they posed for picture after picture as Puck, Quinn, Mike, and Mercedes quickly headed into theater.

When they were all seated, Mercedes thoughts again ran towards Sam and how he was left abandoned and tied up in the basement while they were all out having a good time. She knew that he was lonely and depressed, but had he finally realized why they kidnapped him yet. She felt inexplicably drawn to him and his thoughts and feelings; she felt like he was a male siren drawing her into his presence bewitching her with his magic. However, despite her thoughts of Sam, she did watch Rachel Berry and the other actors shine in their performances.

While she was watching the musical, she could feel Mike Chang watching everything she did. He stood behind her while they made their ways to their seats, and although she was seated by Quinn who was seated beside Puck, and then Mike was seated by Santana who was then beside Artie, the distance from her didn't block his line of sight as he watched her from over Puck's and Quinn's head. She knew that he had a great view of breasts now because she had removed her coat and the corset nature of the upper part of her dress revealed her girls tastefully, and Mike's continual gaze on her made her feel warm and all of out of sorts.

Mercedes was happy when the intermission came, and she looked down to look for Santana and realized she and Artie had slipped away. Mercedes stood beside Quinn, giving polite smiles to people who knew Quinn. and she was introduced to people that knew Quinn and/or Mike and when they found out they all went to school with Rachel Berry the questions would not stop, eventually she wanted to just disappear and get something cool to drink.

It seemed as if Mike read her mind, and came up to her asking if she wanted to go outside to the lobby and get a drink. Mercedes didn't know what she should do; she had refused his gifts and now to refuse company would seem both churlish and childish. Mike wouldn't hurt her because she wouldn't allow him to. She was going to use this chance to speak with him and clean the air.

"That sounds lovely Mike. Who knows we may run into Santana and Artie and let them know the show is about to resume." Mercedes told him as she told Quinn where she was going. Quinn just lifted one eyebrow to her before returning her attention to Puck.

Mike offered Mercedes his arm, and she took it as she descended the stairs. Mercedes was impressed that Mike was still in shape now that he didn't dance professionally but only choreographed. However, the feel of his muscles and his touch was so strong that she couldn't stop herself from melting into his slight hold.

She couldn't help but notice the smile that was now on Mike's face. She smiled up at him after he got them both a glass of wine as they walked around looking for Santana and Artie. "I wonder where Santana and Artie are?" she asked him to break the ice.

"Well we have been all around the lobby and they are not outside they could be anywhere, maybe they wanted to go somewhere away from prying eyes." Mike suggested as he looked at Mercedes and could understand the need to go somewhere more intimate. Santana and Mercedes were both simply irresistible tonight in their lovely dresses. Mike always knew Mercedes was beautiful, but tonight in that dress that body had caused him to know that the feelings he had for were definitely not those of a friend.

"So, do you or I need to address the elephant in the room?" Mike asked her as they headed back towards their seats.

Mercedes' shyness returned and when she finally looked up to Mike's eyes she was startled at the intensity in which he was still looking at her. "You go ahead." She whispered.

"Why did you return the flowers, I sent to you Mercedes?" Mike asked no longer able to contain his curiosity.

Flowers had been inside the box just like she imagined, but she didn't want flowers from Mike. Friends did not select one particular friend out of three to give flowers to. Mike was more classy and a gentleman than Artie and would try to woo her in ways similar to Sam, and she didn't want to get involve with her friend in that way.

"I am sorry Mike if returning the flowers hurt your feelings, but I don't think friends should send each other flowers it sends out a mixed message."

"What message is that? Mercedes surely you know how I feel by now. I thought when I kissed your hand that you knew that I liked you more than friends. I have always been attracted to you, but there is something about you now that is drawing me to you, and I can't help the way I feel." Mike admitted to her in a lowered sexier version of his voice.

"I am sorry Mike, but all I can offer you is friendship and nothing more." Mercedes said and regretted voicing those words he was so handsome, so good, so nice, and charming, but she couldn't fool herself even if she wanted to. She wanted only one man and that was the man that she could never have.

"Friendship" Mike said his voice trying not to show his hurt.

"Mike, I would be honored to have you as my friend." She told him as she grasped his hand and smiled up at him.

"So, I can continue to come and visit you while you staying with Quinn?" Mercedes nodded her head yes. "This time I promise to not disappoint you with our friendship. We are going to keep in touch." Mike promised as he looked at her with sad eyes that held the tiniest bit of hope.

* * *

Mercedes was unable to fall asleep that night. She cursed herself and cursed herself for letting a new opportunity with Mike slip out her grasp just because she wanted Sam. She had thought she had learned to have a cold heart and not feel anything from a man after all these years alone, but the truth was she hadn't felt anything because she was still obsessed with Sam.

She wanted to slap herself and call herself stupid for loving a man who had made a mockery of their relationship. No matter how she tried to put Sam out of her mind she couldn't. He was just too physically close to her. She couldn't believe how gullible she was to believe his lies. Maybe everything he said wasn't a lie, but he still used her as a placeholder for Brittany. The funny thing was she didn't chase Sam once in their entire relationship. She would have been better off if she hadn't agreed to go to prom on the budget with him and Rachel. She never should have taken his hand and danced with him after he told her she looked beautiful. If she hadn't had so much fun on the dance floor with him, then they would have never become friends so quickly. Their friendship wouldn't have turned into dating in New York if she hadn't allowed him into her heart. He was the only person in Glee to call her and spend time with her. It was just him and her and sometimes his siblings. She had wanted them to be a secret relationship not him. He wanted to tell everyone, but after her disastrous history with Kurt and Puck, she didn't want to jinx this relationship by telling her feelings towards him to anyone.

When a guy smothered you in affection, told you were beautiful, and fought to get you back from another guy how could you not think that he was being sincere. He had even turned Quinn down for her. Plus Sam was always a giver in regards to their lovemaking. That first summer he had to initiate and do everything. She was too shy to barely even touch him intimately. He didn't even try to pressure her into having sex. Whenever their cuddling sessions became so intense that she thought she would die, Sam would back off without her telling him a word. It was like he knew her body better than she knew herself what she was willing to do and not do with him. Sam's actions were not disrespectful, and he couldn't fake his arousal for her. Mercedes didn't know what to believe. She couldn't stop herself she got up, put her robe on, and went downstairs to confront Sam to finally have the answers to the questions that had plagued her for seven years.

When she made her way downstairs and saw that he was asleep and part of her was tempted to remove the blindfold from Sam's eyes to see his incredible green eyes and smile lines once again. She slowly released her breath as she fought the urge to touch him.

"Cedes is that you?" She heard his sleep rough voice speak. She couldn't move, she even forgot to breathe. "Don't hide from me." He said as he got up and threw his blanket off of him. His voice mesmerized her and she couldn't move. When she was 18, she believed Sam to be the sexiest guy that she knew, and not seven years later she knew that she wasn't wrong. Mike's body was good, but Sam's body was simply amazing. He was larger and his baby features were gone. He was 100% man, a man who had hurt her and her friends. She had to remember the hurt.

"Take off the blindfold, Cedes" Sam's voice whispered to her seductively. "Let me see your beautiful face, those beautiful eyes." Mercedes shook her head no knowing he couldn't see but for her own benefit. "What are you frightened of? I thought we would never see each other again. You don't know how badly I have wanted to see you. I have been counting the days since I last saw you. You can keep me tied up, but please let me see you." Sam begged and Mercedes realized he was just using her so that he could free. "Come close let me feel you." It's been so long, why are you here with these crazy women?"

"They are my friends." Mercedes couldn't stop herself from answering his last question.

"How? Where did you meet them, and why have done this to me?"

"Why?" You want to know why? Why did you hurt us?

"I never meant to hurt anyone especially not you Cedes?"

"But you did."

"I didn't want to. I only wanted you Cedes, only you Cedes. You have to believe me." Sam begged, and Mercedes didn't know what to feel. He was lying and she was torn between a desire to slap him, or hold him. She was just confused his words said one thing, but his past actions another. She didn't know what to say or do whether to believe his lies or fight the desire to run into his arms. It took several minutes but Mercedes was able to fight her flesh and desire and to stay in control and turn on her heels and leave Sam in the basement alone.

But before she left something drove her to turn around and run back to him and kiss him, and he tasted just as she remembered. He responded and quickly took over the kiss inserting his tongue into her mouth after biting her lips which made her involuntarily open her mouth to him. His lips were taking complete control of the kiss, and she could feel his erection as he pressed his body into hers and she felt her own body dampen something she hadn't felt in awhile, and it served as a wake up call as she remembered Santana and Quinn and yanked herself from him rushing up the stairs.

While she was hurrying to her room she saw a light coming from Quinn's room and heard an angry man. She recognized Puck's voice and then Quinn yelling "Yes!" and "More!" First Santana disappearing with Artie to get it on and now Quinn and Puck were fucking loud enough to be heard outside Quinn's bedroom, Mercedes realized that she was the only one of her friends sleeping alone tonight, and it was by her own choice. But what kind of person was she to fall under Sam's spell so easily. She caught herself in time because if she stayed down there with him any longer, she would have been lost. Who was she kidding? She had most assuredly lost her mind if not her will by going down there in the first place.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge _****or any songs mentioned in this chapter. Thanks for reading and much love to all the new followers of this story. Forgive my many grammatical errors this chapter is completely unedited! **

Chapter Six

Sam woke up the next morning feeling as if someone had beaten him up wet and later hung him out to dry. Since he could hear no sounds from the above breakfast room, he realized that it must still be pretty early in morning. He just lay there in the darkness. He would hope that Frenchman would come down soon and remove his blindfold. While he waited, Sam adjusted his blanket the best he could with his limited hand movement. Because the Frenchman was upset with him, he hadn't left Sam untied outside his presence. Since he called Cedes name, he hadn't been released from his blindfold in days. Every morning Sam woke up hoping that this would be day that he would go free, but the only visitor he received was the Frenchman emptying his pot, untying his hands so he could bathe, and then tying him back up and leaving him down in the basement.

However, last night had been different. Cedes had come to visit him. She had gotten close enough to him so that she could kiss him. The memory of her lips on his own made him restless clamoring for his freedom so that he would be able to gain enough strength to overpower the chain that held his foot down so that he could free himself and then catch the Frenchman off guard and get his freedom and search the house high and low until he found her. The only thing he did not know was what he would do when he found her. If he could only understand what possessed her into coming down to see him in the middle of the night as if the other ladies were not aware of her nocturnal visit. Certainly, she couldn't expect him to keep her visit to himself.

Sam was overjoyed with her reaction to him last night. He could have easily seduced her into trusting him and untying his hands and helping him to get free, but it was if she had held him spellbound. He was unable to think of anything, but the blindfold that prevented him from seeing her face. He would have risked staying captured if he could have seen her, touched her, and felt her arms around his body. Sam belatedly realized that he acted like an idiot. He was unable to figure out what Cedes thought of him especially after she kissed him and then as soon as he felt her melting into his body, she had fled as if the hounds of hell were chasing her. Did she come to visit him to make his punishment worse tempting him with what he could never have or at it been an impulsive move that she made without realizing the consequences?

Sam needed to put an end to spending his days pining after a woman that he didn't know whether or not hated him and wished he was dead or would be his saving grace from the insanity of being held captive. Sam didn't care at this point all he wanted was to believe that his imprisonment would soon be over; it had been over a week surely the blizzard was not still an issue, and people would begin to miss his presence soon. He thought as he heard pots and pans clanging and soon the smell of pancakes and sausages fill the air. He wasn't surprise to hear the door open, but instead of hearing the Frenchman's gait, he heard someone significantly lighter.

It was not until she got close enough to smell that Sam realized it was Cock Tease how long was his horrible luck going to last? He questioned himself as he decided to use charm and hope the vixen was not willing to castrate him today. "_Buenos día__s_, Juanita. ¿Cómo _estás_?" He greeted her in her native tongue of Spanish.

"It is a wonderful morning," Juanita surprised him answering full of good cheer. "I am in such a delightful mood that I have decided to cater to you this morning."

He heard the big Frenchman come in with something that clamored to floor that sounded metallic and heavy. He heard people going up and down the stairs filling something with water. He hadn't had a bath in forever. Soon after all the commotion he heard Juanita speaking happily.

"You need to know that we are not alone down here. I have someone who standing over you with a stun gun. The same gun that was used to bring you low and eventually got you here to us with little fuss. I have given him instructions to stun again the most favorite part of your body if you so much as move an inch without my direction. _Comprende_?

Seeing Sam nod his head in agreement, Juanita continued, "you have begun to smell very ripe, so I have decided to let you have a bath, and I will wash you myself."

Sam didn't trust the cock teasing woman as far he could see her in this instance not at all, but he knew he needed the bath. He missed the feel of water cascading all over his body, and even if he had to suffer the wrath of this vicious crazy lady, he was willing to suffer any embarrassment to be able to feel completely clean. "I agree to do whatever I must to enjoy my bath."

"_Excelente_." Juanita said encouraged by his ready agreement.

"Where is Cedes this morning?" Sam asked before he could stop the words from coming out of his mouth.

"Who is Sadie?" Juanita was just like Charlotte enjoying twisting the pronunciation of her name.

"You know who I am talking about Juanita. I know Juliet's real name is Miss Mercedes Jones."

Sam could hear Juanita make a nonverbal sound deep in her throat to catch her off guard he continued, "I actually would prefer that she bathe me you can ask your French guard, she has done it before and believe me she knows exactly how to clean me from head to toe."

"Well, we all want things, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are able to get what we want."

"I really want to be free. Tell me how much longer do you three plan on keeping me here?"

"Sam, you know the answer to that question is as long as you need to be kept." She told him as her hands crept beneath his shirt and pulled it over his head after cutting the arms of the tank top off without releasing his hands from captivity. After the Frenchman freed his foot and charged the stun gun to let Sam know what he was risking, she helped him pull his underwear down and guided him towards the huge washtub. Sam hadn't walked that many steps in distance since he was imprisoned.

After he followed her directions and stepped into the temporary bath, he tried to get Juanita to talk of their past associations in life and how he had played an active part in ruining her life. Juanita wouldn't give him details but talked in general of hearts that he broken with his disregard to other's emotions. To distract him, Juanita began to caress his penis and try as Sam might he couldn't stop his body from responding to her practiced touch even though he knew that Cedes was somewhere near. As Juanita continued to talk he noticed something familiar about her phrasing. He didn't stop her from going off which she did while continuing to arouse him. He only knew one Latina who could be this sexy while trying to emasculate him and shred him to tears, he knew without a doubt that Juanita was Santana Lopez, but instead of letting her know that he had guessed her identity, he continued to let her talk. He tried to tamper his lust and continued to ask that she bring Cedes to him so that he could talk to her.

Santana refused telling him that she did not say that Sadie was here. Her hands at this point had left his cock as soon as he said Cedes' name and was now on his stomach and roughly washing his nipples.

"It was all a mistake and a misunderstanding that resulted in a disaster. I never meant to hurt Mercedes or you." Sam said because Santana was now causing him physical pain with her rough treatment of his chest hair.

"Do you really believe the words that are coming out of your gigantic mouth Sam?"

He knew she was tempted to refer to him as Trouty Mouth and if he could just get her to say that one phrase then they could both stop pretending. "Yes," he told her, and he realized that he had wronged Mercedes, Brittany, and Santana and regretted his actions. One night while out drinking with Mike, he had told his friend on how he had deceived Britt and therefore kept her from reconciling with Santana and had asked his friend what he could do to make it up to the two of them. Mike was miserable after having just lost Tina, Finn's death, and was drunk to boot, but he advised Sam to let sleeping ducks lie that he couldn't fix their relationship because Britt was married to Ryder by then, and it was best if he left well enough alone. After Sam continued to get drunk with Mike, he decided to take his friend's advice and the two of them had picked up two sisters and had a mini orgy in Mike's hotel room.

Sam regretted listening to Mike now. He knew he had made a mistake, and he had caused two hearts to break because of his anger at Britt for breaking up with him although he never loved her in the first place. The reason why she always referred to Wade/Unique as Mercedes was to taunt Sam who would often call her Cedes whenever they made out. Britt was not a dumb blond, her SAT scores and MIT proved that although she thought differently than most people, she was adept at reading people's emotions.

Sam realized he fucked up a lot of people's lives not just his own. And as Santana led him out of tub and back to the chaise, she hurriedly dried him off and held the stun gun while the Frenchman helped him to put his clean long underwear on and shackled his foot again in the chain and he released Sam's hands as he put him on a thermal top to match his long john outfit. His hands were soon tied back together, and Santana left him with a message that made him 100% sure that Juanita was Santana Lopez. She had told him before he ruined another relationship with his lies to make sure the next time he convinced a girl that he loved her more than anybody while actually feeding his ego in being able to steal her from someone else that he realized he was destroying two people's happiness when he was not God and could not tell anybody who they should love or be with.

Santana left Sam feeling like shit.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me that you went to see Sam?"

Mercedes couldn't stop the guilty look from coming to her face so she studied the carpet to prevent Quinn from seeing her guilt, but she couldn't lie to her friend and shrugged her shoulders in affirmation of her guilt unable to explain to Quinn why she didn't mention what she had done.

"Why would you do such a thing Mercedes?"

Mercedes felt like Quinn was speaking to her as if she was child. She had as much right to see Sam as Quinn and Santana. She would no longer feel embarrassed over her actions but act like an adult and own up to them. "I can't explain it. It was if I could not help myself. I had to see him."

"So what did you say to him when you spoke to him?"

"I wanted to know why he hurt me why he did what he did. I just wanted to know why?"

"Did he answer your question?"

"He told me that he didn't intend on hurting anyone."

"Did he know it was you that he was talking to?"

"I think so, I didn't tell him it was me, but he seemed convinced that I am who I am; it seem pointless to argue with him."

"Did he say anything else to you anything else at all?"

"He wanted me to come closer to him and take off his blindfold. He told me that he only wanted to see me. I didn't want to get close to him, but I kissed him. I couldn't stop myself. I kissed him and then ran away like the coward I am. I know you think that I am silly lovesick fool." Mercedes said when Quinn refused to comment over her actions.

"Are you still in love with him with him, Mercedes, after all this years and what he did to you?"

"I know I shouldn't be, but he is the only man that I have ever loved. He was my only love, Sam. It is so very hard for me to be here, to know he is close, to hear his voice, to see his face, and a part of me is unable to forget the few moments of joy that I had with him. I know I should hate him more passionately than you or Santana, but the poets of old have always said that hate and love are two sides of the same coin. The person who I am really finding unlovable throughout all of this is me. He ruined my life, he gave me a brief taste of what feels like to be loved and loved in return, and then dropped me and pretended as if I never exist saying it was Brittany slow as turtles Pierce that he always wanted, and made me estranged from my father, but still I can't stop myself from wanting him. I always thought people in abusive relationships were crazy how could they forgive and go back to a person who caused them physical pain, but I see I am no better than they are, I am willing to kiss a man who caused me unspeakable emotional, psychological, and mental anguish." Mercedes just poured her heart out to Quinn as tears wet her face. She hadn't even realized she was crying. "This can't be love what I feel for him more like an obsession or animal lust. How can I love someone who is as evil as he is and has caused so much pain?" She said to Quinn who looked at her friend with compassion instead of judgment.

"Believe me I understand what you are going through better than you can know. After he did all those horrible things to you, I allowed him back into my life into my daughter's life and trusted him and he broke both of our hearts. There were many nights that she would call out to Sam and he was no longer there. I should have known better but like you I was drawn to him and his Southern charm, and I wanted to believe that the Sam that we used to know and love still existed. The only way I was able to recover was to find another lover. Mercedes, you are going to have to cut those ties that bind you to him away. You are going to have to find another lover."

Mercedes shook her head in disagreement, and Quinn squeezed her hands. "You have to listen to me. You don't have to marry the guy or fall in love with him. You just need someone who'll satisfy you in bed so you don't have Sam as your only experience of the physical side of love."

"I'm not like you and Santana. I'm unable to sleep with a man without having feelings for him"

"Why can't you do this Mercedes you know lots of guys find you desirable what's wrong in experiencing ecstasy in their arms?"

"It's just not for me. I just can't go up to a man and ask him to be my boy toy or lover."

"Why not, you have Mike Chang already ready, willing, and able to fulfill the role."

"I told him that we could only be friends and nothing more besides I know I went with Sam after you and Santana but the two of you never went that far with him, and I didn't feel gross. I just was such a close friend to Tina that I can't imagine sleeping with her ex-boyfriend." Mercedes told Quinn not being totally honest. She just did not feel the urge to rip off Mike's clothes as she felt with Sam. She couldn't fake wanting to jump his bones when what she felt for him was what she felt for her biological brother.

Santana's abrupt entrance saved Mercedes from having to try to explain this to Quinn. "He is cured. Sam is cured." She told her two friends smiling widely.

"Good morning to you to Santana. I heard you returning home quite early this morning." Quinn told her friend looking at her glowing face.

"As soon as I left Artie's house, I took a shower and put on some old clothes and got Puck to assist me in giving Sam a bath." Santana began before she was interrupted by Quinn.

"Sam can wait; you need to first tell us what happened between you and Artie last night."

"I don't really think you want me to tell you; it was just too romantic to be believable. You both will hate me."

Mercedes couldn't help but smile as Santana's giddiness, "I don't believe anything is too romantic for me, whereas Quinn, we can bind and gag her if she becomes too grossed out."

"I will try to listen, even it the sound of your voice talking about how romantic Artie is makes me want to call an exorcist, I promise not to speak until you finish gushing over your lover boy."

"Artie could tell I wasn't enjoying the show, and he could tell even through my bluster that I wasn't ready to confront Rachel after the performance, so he offered to bring me home during intermission and return and tell you all that I had developed a headache from the blinding lights of the photographers' flashes. Well as Artie hailed a cab, he decided that it would be better if we went to his house so he could get his car so that he could drop me off and then come back to theater without having to pay the cab driver so much to bring us all the way here when he only stayed a mile away from the theater. I agreed and when we got to his house, he conveniently left his car keys in his other coat, so I accompanied him in the elevator to go up to his high rise condo. Well, while I was in the elevator, I remembered that I forgot to tell him thank you for his beautiful gift. So, he told me the only thanks he would be willing to receive was a kiss."

"Now that sounds like the Artie we all know and love," Quinn couldn't help interrupting.

"Well, I have never kissed Artie before, and I didn't kiss any of my johns no matter what they looked liked so the last time I kissed someone it was you Quinn over a year ago and that is an awfully long time for me, and I just couldn't contain myself. So, instead of giving him the innocent peck on the jaw that he was expecting, I gave him the old Cheerios version of the Santana Lopez kiss that made me and Brittany such hot commodities because we know how to do things with our tongues that causes guys to have instantaneous erections."

Mercedes couldn't help but side-eyed the hell out of Santana, while the woman fanned herself murmuring "Caliente."

"You all know how forward I am. So, by the time we made it out of the elevator, I had stripped Artie out of his shirt and was working on his belt. By the time we made it inside of his home, my dress was half-way down my body, and the first time was rushed I must admit it. Artie said he had ten years of stored of lust for me, and I daresay I believed him because by the time he had took me to his bed he had already given me three orgasms."

"You didn't use the bed for the first time?" Mercedes asked not believing her ears.

"Ah, the first time was against the front door after he locked it, then before I could even move, he had threw me over his shoulders and stripped us both as we showered. Then, before we made it out of the bathroom, he had lifted me onto the sink and began to eat me out giving me multiple orgasms, and finally after I think I fainted from all the pleasure he was giving me, he took me he bed and made painstakingly slow love to me. It lasted all night. Never has someone taken that much time and care with me to give me such unspeakable pleasure since Britt. And then we held onto one another and talked until dawn when he finally fell asleep, and I called a cab knowing that you two might be worried about me. It was one of the most beautiful nights of my life."

"As soon as I called the cab, Artie woke up and said no woman of his was taking a cab home. So he called the cab company back and cancelled my ride even though I know he had to be exhausted. He drove me home, and he told me that loved me as kissed me goodbye against the door."

Quinn looked at Mercedes in alarm. How quickly Santana had forgotten her own advice about not trusting a man, to be cold, calculating, and careful. This was not the Santana that they all had grown to love."

"I imagine that you won't be able to resist not seeing him or calling him before much longer." Mercedes said trying not to gang up on her friend.

"He will be here at eight, he is taking me out to dinner; part of it is work Mercedes, he is taking me to an industry party."

Quinn couldn't help but comment, "Santana, promise me that you won't do anything foolish. I am happy that you are happy. I just don't ever want to see you hurt again.".

"Of course, I won't do anything foolish. Do you know who you are talking to? I am from Lima Heights Adjacent, I was born with streets smarts. You two are distracting me from what I have to tell you. Sam apologized. He sincerely apologized and admits the errors of his ways, and I know that his apology is sincere. We have to let him go."

"Santana do you not think in your current state of no sleep, overly pleasured, and euphoric well-being that you may have gone too easy on him?" Quinn asked.

"You know I made that boy's life a living hell most of the time he was in Lima, I did and said things I was not proud of, but I do believe that I can still spot a liar and a cheat, and I do believe Sam Evans has seen the error of his ways. I did everything but force Sam's penis in my vagina and did everything to cause him to vilify me, but he would not be seduced, he would not react violently to me, and he seemed to truly regret his past actions. The only thing he would not stop doing was saying Cedes' name over and over."

* * *

Sam was about to lose his mind. Charlotte he still hadn't guessed her identity, he knew she wasn't Quinn, Kitty, Marley, Brittany, Rachel, or Tina, but who she could be he couldn't figure out. Who was close to Santana and Mercedes after all these years that he had slept with and caused such animosity. He knew the other women and knew that they hadn't had any contact with Cedes in years. Whenever he saw them in Lima or New York, they would all say they hadn't heard from her. It had to be someone else, and it was going to drive him crazy until he discovered who she was. He wasn't going to let her know that he knew Santana Lopez's identity because he recognized that mistake when he identified Cedes, and it led to nowhere. No this time, he would hold on to this one secret until it was most beneficial for him to use it.

"Good afternoon, Sam." She greeted him as if nothing was the matter.

"Why don't you just release me from these damned shackles, Charlotte?"

"So you are going to continue with the disrespectful language that used the last time I was here."

"Can't you see what you have driven me into becoming somebody my own mother would be ashamed of knowing. You have turned my world upside down and shown me what a miserable person that I am. So, please let me take my sorry ass home. I just would like one thing and that is to talk to Mercedes before I leave. There are some things that I must tell her before I leave."

"Is this a new scheme you have hatched to get free like the one you tried to use on Juanita earlier? Well, it won't work with me."

"You think that this is a scheme? I don't know what I have done to you, but I have can guess what I have done to Juanita, and I know what I did to Cedes, but what can I do to make right what I did to you? I don't believe there is anything I can do. What do you want from me? Do you want me to spend the rest of my life in your basement?"

"Isn't that what you have relegated to all the women that you have used, abused, and then discarded? You have sentenced them into a figurative basement making them think that they are not worthy of love and affection that the only thing they are good for is a fuck. Why should I let you go? Don't you truly believe that you belong here?"

Sam didn't want to admit it, but she was right in a way. He should be hanged, drawn, and quartered for all the things he did to Mercedes, Brittany, and Santana alone, but he decided to be honest with Charlotte. "I cannot redo the past or undo the hurt that I caused because of my selfish and misguided actions, but being here solves nothing. Please let me go Charlotte there is nothing I can do."

"No."

"No, what do you really want to do to me, skin me alive or just drive me to the brink of insanity?"

"Poor Sam you have completed the first step in your rehabilitation recognizing your sins is the first step, but what you haven't fully understood yet is that we have not had our revenge yet."

"What are you planning to do to get your revenge against me Charlotte?" He asked truly curious to what else she could do to him.

"Not only must you recognize where you went wrong and what you have done wrong, but we must become fully convinced that you will never do what you did ever again."

"I promise you that I will never do what I did ever again. You must believe me Charlotte."

"I don't believe you."

Sam hated her with a passion and wanted to threaten her, but knew he was powerless to carry out his threats. "Just let me talk to Cedes."

"I don't think so you haven't been very nice to me today why should I do anything for you."

"I want Cedes, bring her to me, Charlotte, I want Cedes brought downstairs to me right now."

"I'm sorry Sam, but that is something that I am just not willing to do."

* * *

Quinn was walking in her garden and noticed Mercedes reading outside and went to join her friend. "No, don't get up, I've got your phone and I heard it beeping with messages, and I decided to bring it outside to you."

Mercedes saw her missed calls and saw that the first one was from Kurt. He had heard about her appearance at the theater and wanted to her to visit him tomorrow. The second one was from Mike Chang he wanted to drop by and visit her this afternoon. She told her Quinn about her messages asking her friend for advice.

"You need to go see Kurt tomorrow, and you will allow Mike to come over later today." Quinn told her without hesitating.

"Why is he doing this? He knows I want nothing more from him than friendship."

"His head knows this, but he is not thinking with his big head but his little head, his cock. He is going to pretend to be your friend so he can wear you down and eventually convince you to let him sleep with you."

"But why Quinn, I have done nothing differently; he never wanted me in the past. I am still the same Mercedes, I haven't changed; so why is Mike Chang all of sudden so interested in me when he is in a city filled with glamorous, gorgeous, rich, and successful women? Mike is like you said rich, handsome, and famous, he could get any woman he wants, why is he wasting his time with me when it's obvious that I don't like him in that way."

"First of all I told you many years ago that you are beautiful Mercedes. And you and I have both got to admit that since you came to New York that you have lost at least 25 pounds all in the waistline not in the boobs or ass department. You are no longer the fat girl you see in the mirror. You are hot, and Mike is smart enough to know that the coke heads, narcissistic, and stuck-up people that New York is overflowing with are all counterfeits. You are a true gem who is honest, loving, and caring and beautiful on the outside and inside. Santana and I may be considered hot commodities, but you my dear are considered a rare commodity a Proverbs 31 woman who is worth her weight in gold."

"Quinn I really appreciate your words, but you are not a man and just trust me when I say that there is something about Mike's interests that isn't right."

"Cedes stop looking for the storm cloud and just enjoy Mike's company, you are clueless to how sexy you are. If Mike wasn't so busy looking at you and leaving the theater to walk with you, I am sure you would have been hit on by many of the men who saw you in that dress some of the single and the not so single ones. Like Santana said earlier, Mike is possessive, and he was marking his territory with you, and I am sure that is why Kurt wants to talk to you after all these years. Let's go inside it looks as if it is going to rain."

"Quinn, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Mercedes didn't know how to phrase what she wanted to know so she decided to just be honest. When Quinn nodded, she continued on and just asked, "Are you and Puck lovers?" Mercedes was surprised to see the shock expression on Quinn's face.

"How did you find out?" Quinn asked surprised that Mercedes had guessed and Santana had not.

"Well after I visited Sam, I heard loud voices coming from you room." Mercedes admitted and Quinn continued to tell her that she and Puck were arguing about when she was going to release Sam. Quinn said that it wasn't the right time, and Puck was growing impatient with them. He thought they had gone too far, and he wanted Sam to be set free immediately.

"Do you think that you would ever marry Puck?" Mercedes asked her friend truly curious.

"No, I will never marry again. I will never risk my heart to be broken or trust another man."

"But I heard you call Puck your love, you are not in love with him as Santana is with Artie?"

"No, I am not. I love what he does to my body, and I will certainly take another lover someday when I grow tired of Puck's complaints." Listening to her answer Mercedes realized that Sam had hurt Quinn more than she realized. She always pretended to be ice cold, but now she really was.

* * *

Later on that day Mercedes ill advisedly allowed Mike to come over and all he did was try to seduce in her vain. When Santana walk through the den to leave for her date with Artie, Mercedes thought Mike would take the hint and leave. However, he continued to stay thinking that Quinn was going to invite him to dinner which she didn't. Mike asked her why Quinn was acting weirdly towards him, and she told him that Quinn believed that he was trying to seduce her and her friend knew that she didn't want to be seduced.

Mercedes regretted she had told him this because this gave Mike the opening he had been waiting for and he pressed his lips on her as she was telling him goodnight. His lips were soft and firm and his breath smelled of citrus fruit, but no matter how he tried to force his tongue in her mouth or draw her closer to him, Mercedes just couldn't feel anything for him. She jerked her head back for him and apologized telling him she just couldn't. He said it was okay, but Mercedes knew it was wrong. She couldn't enjoy even kissing another man because she still wanted Sam Evans; she had to be the most stupid woman in the entire world.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge _****or any songs mentioned in this chapter. Thanks for reading and much love to all the new followers and faithful reviewers of this story. I will edit this and chapter six tomorrow. **

Chapter Seven

"I believe he has lost his ever loving mind," Santana said knowing that Sam heard every word she said.

"How kind of you to notice; I am sure insanity is a byproduct of being trapped in a basement for ten days while being blindfolded, shackled, and alone pretty much except for the presence of two psycho bitches who live to torment to me."

The two had just entered the room immediately responding to Sam banging the chain against the wall since he'd awakened that morning shouting "Cedes!" at the top of his lungs for the amount of time it took them to put on their clothes to investigate.

Charlotte was about to shut him down, when Sam felt her about to lay into him. "Spare me your psychobabble. I am tired of you talking down to me as if I were a child. I don't ever wish to speak to you again. I only want to speak to and see Cedes. Bring her to me now.

_"Lo siento mucho_. I am so upset that you don't want to enjoy our company Sam." Santana said thinking that her identity was safe from him.

"Just go away and leave me alone." Sam said realizing what he truly wanted he would never be able to have.

"Do you want us to leave you alone permanently?" Charlotte asked Sam in a low masked voice.

Sam nodded his head and vocalized a heartfelt "Yes!" hoping that they would leave him before he did something he regret.

"I don't think you really want us to leave you; if we don't come to see you, then you will be all alone." Santana told him softly.

"I've told you a thousand times the only person I want to see is Mercedes." Sam needed her, her strength, her kindness, her forgiveness. He was afraid if he didn't see her then he would surely go insane. She was the only light in his life when he thought her loss to him forever the light had been extinguished. "Cedes" Sam whispered. "Please bring her to me."

* * *

"Please have a seat diva," Kurt told her as Mercedes followed him into his sitting room.

Mercedes sat down looking at the ornate room, and realizing that although Quinn's home was just as costly, the atmosphere in this home made her feel stiff and as if she was unable to get comfortable.

"You have lost a good bit of weight since I last saw you. Let me know when you are ready to go on a shopping spree." Kurt said taking in Mercedes in her loose jeans and oversize sweater.

"I really haven't lost that much weight all over it just in certain parts of my body, and I don't know if I am going to be able to keep the weight off so there is no need to buy more clothes that I may not be able to wear in a month's time." Mercedes told her former BFF.

"Well, according to some of Rachel's friends that saw you at _Wicked_, I heard that you have paired up with Santana of all people to start a singing group. I haven't seen Santana in years and though I love the girl, I don't think you and her would be the best fit musically. You are R&B, and she is so Amy Winehouse in more ways than one."

"Kurt, you really need to see Santana now; she is definitely no Amy Winehouse maybe not as Jennifer Lopez as she used to be, but I like to think of her as a Puerto Rican Shakira. Do you remember that year that Shakira and Usher were on _The Voice_? How Shakira was willing to fight for her girls and still be so loving and kind to all the other performers but never mincing on the truth. That is Santana now. She is in love with life again, and I truly believe she is my best friend, so I can't think of anyone better to partner with in this crazy music business."

"You are not afraid of the scandal of her past coming out?" Kurt questioned not believing that Mercedes was willing to risk that type of fall-out.

"Oh, I am banking on it coming out, and I know that her story is good enough to draw even Oprah and Barbara Walters out of retirement. Just think of the free publicity, and Santana is honest if she is nothing else. I admire her more for having climbed out of that deep pit and now living a respectable, healthy, and emotionally secure lifestyle. She will be an inspiration to many who have fallen off the path, but she didn't stay knocked down, she got right back up, and I see only good things happening in her future."

"Still, the same Mercedes, forever seeing the good in people; now what's this I hear about the new man in your life?" Kurt said changing the subject knowing that he wasn't going to be able to change Mercedes' mind about Santana.

"I don't have a new man in my life. If they are rumors concerning me and Mike Chang believe me Kurt when I tell you, those are only rumors. I love Mike just like I love all you guys like my brother no more nothing less. I guess some people are not used to seeing sisterly and brotherly affection among the opposite sex."

"Well, I heard from his own mouth that he wants you diva, and Mike Chang has changed from the guy that you remember from Lima. What he wants he always gets." Kurt told her glad to find something to ruffle his friend's feathers.

"Kurt, how many guys have you known have actually got me. I will tell you zero. Anthony Rashad, Noah Puckerman, Sam Evans, and Shane Tinsley all tried to capture me in some way and use me in some way, but none of them could capture me. I am too much like the wind in that regards. He can try to woo me like they all did, and I may go on dates with him, but I have guarded my heart so that nobody can get me unless they have the key." Mercedes said to Kurt as serious as a heart attack.

"Well, we all know Sam got the furthest with you; what is the key that a guy needs to win you completely over?"

"Love is the key Kurt. I need to be able to love a guy before he can think of getting any of this. And I can tell you right now that I am not in love in with anybody; therefore, whatever Mike or whoever else thinks is between me and him is totally irrelevant."

"Well, I know that you love me, and I have missed you and if Artie and Mike are correct, they tell me that you are thinking of moving here to help jumpstart you and Santana's dynamic duo partnership. Now you got to promise me that you are going to visit me and we are going to resume our friendship. I got to have you in my life now that we will be in the same city."

"Kurt, if you want me around, then I promise to be around. Friendship is not something that is disposable to me. Right now I won't say we are friends because we know next to nothing about each other's lives, but I will say we are family, who can start rebuilding our past friendship. Now tell me all the juicy gossip that I know you must be in the know of." Mercedes told Kurt to take the conversation off of her. She blindly listened until he started speaking of Sam Evans.

"You know dad said that when your father told Sam that you never wanted to see him again that a light went off inside of him. I mean Mercedes I know you were seriously saying that Sam never had the key to your heart, and you two broke up due to distance like me and Blaine. Absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder it actually makes you love the one you are with. But anyways dad said that Sam was almost suicidal after that especially when Brittany came back that same week and broke up with him without a warning deciding to get her GED and attend MIT full-time. Sam was at his darkest, he wouldn't eat or sleep. But the Sam Evans we all knew and loved disappeared. And the next week the new and unimproved Sam 4.0 had arrived.

"None of was shocked; the boy has been reinventing himself ever since he poured lemon juice in his hair and thought that forming a Justin Beiber tribute band was cool. But then he got with you and went from a boy who didn't want to show nuttage in his Rocky costume to a male stripper who was ain't shit. That was Sam 2.0. Even though I had a crush on Sam 1.0, Sam 2.0 was the version of fantasies, and Puck told everybody that you were the reason Sam had become a man. We all fell in love with Sam 2.0, but as soon as you left and went to college Sam 3.0 the dumb, clueless, crazy version who believed in Mayan prophecies, told Britt she was his soul mate, and developed a split personality emerged. Puck again blamed you said your absence had him strung out, and the poor boy couldn't deal without his Cedes juice. Then, you and him are all hugged up on this stage singing with each other, he is bragging and fawning all over you reminiscent of Sam 2.0 with body rolls and eye sexing you like mad because while Britt was away Sam was more than eager to play with you, but your father delivered him your message that you never wanted to see his face again."

Kurt looked at Mercedes and the shock that was on her face. She was acting as if she had never heard this before. Maybe seven years was a long time ago, and she had forgotten that spring which would be eight complete years in a couple of months.

"Well it is a good thing you told your father to get rid of Sam for you because Sam 4.0 which Puck called the lost without Cedes version was just that lost. He became Puck, Jr. It was if he studied Puck and tried to break as many hearts as possible and sleep with as many women. He was ruthless and a true modern day rake. I am glad that you were no longer associated with him especially during his modeling years; I swear he would get drunk with Mike and Artie, and they were having the closest things to orgies that I ever heard of. It was scandalous. Him and his crew has calmed down since Sam's first album did so well, but the guy. who I thought I would want my daughter to find someone like and marry, ended up being a father's worst nightmare." Kurt continued to talk about other people, but Mercedes could no longer hear a word he was saying. Maybe Sam did love her a long time ago until her father ruined their future. He ruined it the first time by threatening her to choose Sam and LA or him, and he ruined it again by telling Sam that vicious lie.

Yes, Sam had still hurt Brittany who was totally ignorant of his deception, Santana, and Quinn as well as God knew who else if he was acting like Puck reincarnated then she knew he would have a left a mile long trial of broken hearts. For the sake of her friends she couldn't forgive and forget what he had done to them. But in the back of mind, she couldn't help to think maybe all his whispered declarations of love had not been lies after all. She needed to speak to Sam and find out just what was said between him and her father.

* * *

As soon as Mercedes arrived at Quinn's home, Quinn was urging her to meet with both her and Santana in the den. Santana rushed up to hug Mercedes as soon as she entered the den. "It is good to see you Cedes. How was your meeting with Hummel?"

Mercedes sat beside Santana and told her the good, the bad, and the oh so very ugly. "You mean Sam thought that you never wanted to see him again?" Santana picked that out of all the things that Mercedes told her to focus on, and Mercedes just nodded in response.

Quinn immediately got up form the sofa and began to pace in what seemed to be excitement. "That explains everything why he has been so adamant about wanting to talk and see you. He thought you never wanted to see him imagine his shock at you seeing him now and his being unable to see you in return."

"Did Kurt tell you anything else about him why he was stupid enough to break up with you in the first place?" Santana asked dying to know why Sam who obviously was obsessed if not in love with Mercedes broke up with her to get with Brittany a girl he obviously never loved.

"No, he did say Sam probably was like Blaine in the fact that if he couldn't be with the one he loved, that he chose to love the one he was with and in his case he chose Britt somebody who was obviously going through the same thing he was."

"Well, Mercedes, I do believe that I have found the ultimate solution for what we should do to Sam to get our revenge." Quinn announced with an unholy gleam to her eyes.

Mercedes and Santana both spoke at the same time: "What is it?"

Quinn looked at Mercedes deeply in her eyes. "Before I tell you it to you, I think I should give you an explanation of what happened the last night Sam and I was together. He had started to come and see me and Beth less and less. Beth was crying for him, and I used Beth to convince him to visit me more and more. But the more he visited the more he concentrated on her and totally ignored me. So, on the last night, I pretended that Beth wanted him here when she was sound asleep in her room,and I appeared to him naked begging him to make love to me like he used to. He didn't want to, but I kept begging and he for the first time he fucked me without the gentleness and seduction that he had used before. He treated me as if I was one of his fuck buddies, and when I complained telling him I thought he was going to marry me, he started to laugh and told me that he didn't love me nor would he ever marry me, and all I could do was to burst into tears as he left that night to never return again as my lover. He went on tour and when he came back and saw me he treated me just as if it never happened."

Mercedes looked at Quinn and realized that she never knew the full details of what went on between her and Sam, and now she truly wished she didn't. Sam broke Quinn's heart even if she wasn't willing to admit it. Sam destroyed something in Quinn that was always imbalanced. She could not keep a man or enjoy a steady relationship and always returned to her three past boyfriends whenever a relationship ended with the other. First it was Finn, then Puck, then Finn, then Puck, then Sam, then Finn, then Puck, then she tried to get with Sam again, then Puck, then Finn until he died, then Sam, and now Puck. Instead of learning from her past, her friend seemed doomed to repeat it. If it would make her friend feel better then she would agree to whatever Quinn wanted for revenge, Mercedes thought, thinking maybe ending this cycle with Sam would help the young woman begin to finally heal.

"Okay, Quinn whatever you want me to do, I will do it because I realized that Sam has hurt you and Santana both. I have forgiven him for everything he has done to me, but I realize you both are not like me, and I will do what it takes to help the two of you completely heal and let what Sam did to you both completely go and if getting even is what you want, then I will do it if you promise to let Sam go."

"Mercedes what I am going to ask you to do is probably the hardest thing that you will ever do it will test your loyalty and friendship to us both. I am going to ask you to do something that goes against your core beliefs, you don't have to say yes, but it is the only way that I can get my revenge on him."

"Well I won't kill him or physically hurt him Quinn I won't do anything any more illegal than participating in this kidnapping scheme. Just tell me what you want me to do." Mercedes was scared now thinking that gleam was back in Quinn's eye, and she wasn't totally comfortable with it.

"Well, I don't know if it is the kidnapping or being alone in the basement, but Sam has become blindly obsessed with you. You are all he thinks of and desires. He wants you more than he wants his freedom. He has painted a picture of you in his mind as of a merciful angel. In order for our plan to work, you must talk to him and make him believe that you are doing so in secret and then seduce him, but let him think he is the one doing the seducing every time he tries to get closer to you make him think you are betraying me and Juanita, but that you can't help yourself that you must see him. You must never let him see you and then you must let him sleep with you."

"Quinn, I am sorry but I just can't. I can't do that."

"Girl, it's not like you haven't had sex with him before, and you can't tell me that Sam doesn't still turn you on. Even with that longish hair and reddish brown beard he is now sporting, Trouty is still is hot as well." Santana told her not understanding why Mercedes was so reticent. Santana did everything but sleep with him, and she felt no guilt.

Mercedes knew right then that both of her friends were not just cray they were certifiable lunatics.

"So you want me to go downstairs to Sam each night in supposed secrecy which is lying to him and allow him to seduce me which isn't the hard part, but you actually want me to have sex with him without feelings knowing that he is obsessed with me. I don't see how that will get you both your revenge."

"Oh, you are forgetting the final part. After you allow him to have sex with you; you must laugh and walk away afterwards leaving him blindfolded and heartbroken like all three of us were when he destroyed our lives."

* * *

That night as with every night since he had been in that insufferable basement, Sam dreamed of Cedes. He woke up thinking of her as always. He tried to pick up the guitar and to compose a song that he had written for her now that Frenchman had begun to leave his hands unbound, but the blindfold now remained over his eyes. This morning he could hear two voices and the sound of the Frenchman bringing in the tub again. He was going to have a bath again. This time with his hands unbound so that he could bathe himself. Santana also brought him a huge plate of sausage, eggs, toast, and grits. Mercedes must have cooked breakfast because she was the only person who knew he loved cheese grits. Maybe this breakfast was a sign that she had forgiven him.

Later that night, the door swung open again and he heard the sound of a lady entering the room. His heart sank because he could tell it was not Cedes but Charlotte the one person he hated the most.

"Good evening Sam, I am afraid you only have me for company for tonight. It seems as if both Juanita and Juliet have dates for the evening."

Sam couldn't believe it. His Cedes had gone out on a date with some unscrupulous bastard who probably wouldn't be able to resist keeping his hands off her luscious curves. His heart rate sped up to double time as he imagined it was him taking her out and then bringing her home to his bed. No, not his Cedes she wasn't the type to allow some guy to have his way with her and surely she couldn't be in a relationship in this crazy house with these crazy women. They would run off any man who was remotely interested in her.

"Don't look so glum, Sam, I am here to keep you company so you don't get bored. Now tell me have you learned your lesson; are you ready to truly leave her a changed man?" Quinn as Charlotte asked as she continued to torment Sam.

* * *

Upstairs, Santana was using a cucumber to educate Mercedes on the finer points of sex and seduction. Santana was telling her to treat Sam's cock as if he was a vegetable, and Mercedes knew that the craziness of her friend knew no bounds, but Mercedes pretended to listen as Santana gave her a Sex 101 class.

"I know it's been almost a decade since you have gotten any and have probably touched a cock. But a man's cock is his most prized body part. Treat it like it's the most beautiful, wondrous thing you have ever seen and handle it like it is a priceless gem, and he will never forget you or forget wanting you. What made me a great escort was not that I allowed men to even have sex with me, but I would worship their cock, and because I worshiped their cock, they would pay me good money-money that I snorted up but lots of money nevertheless."

Santana continued after Mercedes gave her a side-eye after that TMI episode. "His penis is really a delicate, sensitive thing. You have to be careful to not press it too hard with your teeth it is like your own clit only larger and sensitive all over. The most sensitive part is the tip, if you can't remember to do anything else, remember to explore the tip with your mouth slowly and delicately and you will make him go crazy with wanting you. Now watch me."

Mercedes watched as Santana gave her lesson in cock sucking taking the cucumber deep and deeper into her mouth. She slowly and sensuously withdrew the vegetable out of her mouth and when it was completely out she licked its top, and then ran her tongue over her lips as if she had tasted the most delicious dessert ever. Mercedes realized that she would never be able to do that with her gag reflex.

Mercedes was glad when Santana finally felt that she knew everything about erogenous zones, how to make Sam had the best sexual experience of his life, and she was over the moon when she passed Santana's test and almost wept with tears of relief when Quinn joined them, and she could be free from hearing how Artie liked it best when Santana took over their lovemaking in the reverse cowboy position.

Quinn and Santana gave Mercedes instruction on what she was to wear, what she was to say Sam, and they made her rehearse this over and over again. She was to visit Sam for the first time that night and do what the ladies suggested that she do. If she messed up tonight, she would destroy their plan for the ultimate revenge, and she promised them that she would not let them down.

When Mercedes passed Puck later on that night as she went downstairs the first time since she had been in the basement since she kissed Sam, she was filled with nervous energy. Sam sat up in a chair with his hands tied to the back. He had on new thermal underwear that she had not seen him in. He looked the same devastatingly handsome as usual but his swag and confidence was sorely missing. He raised his head towards her, but he didn't speak.

"Hello, Sam," she aid as she watched him from the door in her own voice not the Valley girl tone that she had used in the past. She watched his response and saw the little bit of color that was in his pale face leave.

"Cedes, you don't know how long I have been waiting for you. Why have you stayed away from me so long?"

"Well, Sam I do have a life and I had friends to visit, places to go, as well as other duties."

"I have waited for you for days, Cedes. I haven't had a real conversation with you in seven years. What could have kept you away from me for so long didn't you hear me crying out for you?"

"I'm only here against the other ladies' wishes, I had to be sure that I could sneak down here and not get caught like I did the last time. I can't untie you or release you because I have been informed that you will try to get free, and I am afraid to untie your blindfold because I think you will try to use what you see against me."

"I would never use your face against you, Cedes. Listen to me I thought you never wanted to see me again. Your father told me that I wasn't good enough for you that he would disown you if I continued to date you that you deserved better so I broke up with you, and it hurt worst then anything that I have ever done, and then I found out he disowned you anyways because you refused to give me and LA up anyways. I almost died when I find this out Mercedes, I am so sorry for letting you down. You can hate me more than I hate myself."

"Stop it, Sam! I mean stop saying these things!" Mercedes couldn't help but let tears stream down her face in response to Sam's confession. She was sick on her stomach. Yes, Sam should have never listened to her father. He should have trusted her and her love for him. He was destroying her with his honesty too little and too late. If only he had told her all this years ago, then none of this would have had to ever happen. But, no Sam was just like her father trying to protect her but only ending up hurting her worse than she thought she could ever feel.

Sam could hear her crying and her sobs were like daggers to his soul. So, he was willing to stop trying to explain his past actions and relief himself of his guilt. "I will stop. I have been continually asking for you; why did you finally decide to come and see me?"

Mercedes was able to calm herself down now that Sam was finally asking the question that Quinn thought would be the first one to come out of his mouth. "I couldn't help myself; I just had to see you again."

"Why?"

"I just can't get you out of my head. I think about you all the time."

"You do." Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"There has never been another man in my life since you." Mercedes couldn't say all that Quinn had suggested that she say to try to convince him' the words just wouldn't come to her lips as she made her way closer to him.

Sam seemed to understand what she was saying, but he couldn't believe it, "Are you telling me that you haven't been in a relationship with any other man in the past seven almost eight years?"

"Yes, Sam unfortunately for me you were my only love, and when you broke my heart I was unable to risk giving it to someone else." Quinn had told her that a man likes knowing that he was only person that a woman slept with and that this would feed Sam's already humongous ego.

"I have not been loyal at all to you. You know that I slept with Brittany in high school, but since her I have probably been with over thirty random females. I treated them horribly like I treated Britt. I have been something that I never thought I would be an embarrassment to my family, a poor role model for Stevie, and a guy that I hope Stacy has the sense to flee from being around."

"I know Sam believe me everybody and the news media have kept me up to date with your many conquests."

"And you hate me for being a male whore, don't you Cedes?"

"No, Sam I do not hate anybody."

"I don't deserve your forgiveness Cedes."

"Sam, you know that I am a Christian, and I must admit that although I don't follow all the laws of the Bible, but I do try to show love and forgiveness even when I wanted to hold on to the hurt and the hate I couldn't. It was eating me alive so I had to let it and the past go."

"I wish your friends would let it go. There is nothing that I can do to undo the pain that I have caused you or them. I hate myself for doing it, but I can't undo it."

"They are pretty stubborn and want you as miserable as they were."

"So, now that you are here, what do you plan to do to get your revenge?"

"I just wished to see you; I honestly have no desire to get any revenge on you."

"I wish I could see you, too."

"You know I can't allow that Sam no matter how much you ask me the answer will still be no."

"Will you at least stay and talk with me. The sound of your vices soothes my aching heart."

"I will stay for a short time; I don't want to get caught." She said as she sat beside him.

"Tell me what happened after we caught by your mother. Tell me everything that happened between you and your dad."

Mercedes recounted how her parents told her that they were disappointed in her for not waiting to marriage and for sleeping with Sam knowing that he was technically still a junior in high school. They were not happy at finding out about his stripper past from Shane and didn't want her to get involved in a serious relationship at a young age. Her father threatened her that he would never speak to her again as long as she remained in a relationship with him and chose to go to LA instead of staying in Ohio to get a degree in something practical like nursing or teaching. Mercedes promised him that she would take extension classes at UCLA to become a music teacher while fulfilling the terms of her contract as a back up singer, but nothing she said could change his mind. He left the house and told her that when he came back if she couldn't follow his rules, then she had to be out of his house before he came back.

Her mother told her that her father was only upset that he would calm down, and Mercedes packed her stuff too angry to believe that her father felt this way and being stubborn just like him, she refused to compromise. She moved to her aunt's home who lived next door to Mike and called Sam that night to talk him as soon as she had all her stuff transferred to her new bedroom.

Sam took over the conversation then, telling her that her father had came to him telling him pretty much what he had told her. She told him how her father belittled him and his circumstances living with the Hummels, missing so many days of school because the strip clubs made him work nights that he was unable to graduate once McKinley found out how many total days of school he missed which was forty, and having no set course for the future like Shane Tinsley. Sam knew that he loved Mercedes, but he also know she needed her father's financial support and the love her family, so he broke up with Mercedes and broke his vow to be totally honest with her and how his life spiraled out of control as a result of his bad decision.

Sam asked her would she had given him another chance if her father hadn't lied to him and told him that she never wanted to see him. He was heartbroken when she answered that she would have been his friend, but she still wouldn't have been able to trust him with her heart not after that Brittany fiasco of him telling her that it was her, he had always wanted.

She told him there was no point in reliving the past; that they couldn't change it, but they could learn from it. Sam apologized telling her if only he had done things differently. Mercedes asked if he was sure that he wouldn't have treated her like the others, he told her wouldn't have because she was special so unlike the other girls.

"Mercedes you were so innocent, beautiful, and without deceit. I had never met anyone like you before or since." Sam said trying to convince her that he wouldn't have discarded like the others.

Mercedes sighed. "Sam, I am not the same Cedes that you remember. I found out that if you are good and do good to other people, that people will not necessarily be good to you. I have barely made a living because I was too prideful to ask my parents for help or return to Lima and be willing to be under my father's control. I lost my recording contract and fast track to the top because I refuse to be airbrushed and sexualized everything my album was about not being. I have watched most of my classmates go on and live successful lives while I have been barely making it by living each day with a dream that one day I would be able to have the career of my dreams because I knew I would never have the husband, the kids, and the house with the picket fence."

"Cedes, I believe in you. I still believe that you are essentially the same Cedes with the magnificent voice and the magnanimous heart. The same Cedes that I once knew."

"No, Sam I promise you I am not. Enough about me what about you I know you agree that you are not the same Sam I am, I do not like green eggs and ham."

"Well, I have hurt a lot of people including you and myself. I didn't want to hurt the others, but it was if I was a whipped dog. My family moved me to Lima, I had the popularity, the cheerleader girlfriend, and then she cheated on me, then I had another psycho cheerleader girlfriend who was gay and only using me, then my parents lost their jobs and our home, my friends thought I was a cheater, I meet the girl of my dreams, I am ripped from her and moved to a new state no friends nothing, I hear she has moved on and considers me a summer fling, I become a stripper and try to lose myself in making money to provide for my family, my friends use me to bring me back to win a competition against the only girl that I had truly love who continues to shoot me down at every opportunity, I finally win the girl back only to help her realize her dreams in LA and cause her to part from her family, I date a girl who was clueless and then use her and destroy her relationship with her lover forever because she breaks my heart, then I become a heartbreaker wanting everybody to experience the pain I have, used my body to make money again and now am doing what I love, but I am still miserable and the cherry on the cake is that I am now tied up, blindfolded, and left in a basement to rethink my actions of how I hurt a lot people out of my own pain, and now I have the one person who I want to see and touch more than anything in the world beside me, and I am powerless to do any of the things that I truly want to do."

"Sam I want to be able to trust you, but your recent past doesn't inspire confidence." Mercedes couldn't let Sam blind her to her mission. She had to follow the script so she had to shut him up before he had her changing her mind and betraying Quinn and Santana. So, she got up and told him that she had to go. He begged her to stay, and she took a step backwards and went to his chair, bent over and stroked his face with her fingers, and kissed him and allowed him to softly kiss her with a slow erotic kiss that had her hankering to take his blindfold off and remove his bonds, so that he could hold her and take over their lovemaking as he did in the past.

She pulled away from him once again telling him that she must go, and he yelled, "No!" and began to struggle with his bonds that had him tied completely to the chair and unchained from the wall. "Don't go, please don't leave me Cedes," he begged her.

But she couldn't stay and told him this as she headed upstairs to the door listening to his cries begging her to not leave him.

* * *

**A/N: Jujubee58** I took your advice on this chapter I hope you see I finally made them sit down and talk. **Sarah and Guest** you are going to really hate me when this story is over because I am only partially in control of it. The end is already predetermined and much of the action is based it off another story, and I'm trying to stay true to the original's author ideas by only changing what I think I can get by with and still have it ring true to Glee fans. **Alliecattie3: **Sam is so obsessed with Mercedes now that Quinn's identity is not even on his radar but believe me if Mercedes carries out the revenge that Quinn has designed, Sam will be in no doubts who Charlotte is and I can stop having to delete Quinn every time I am supposed to write Charlotte it has gotten even old for me. Thanks for you support for this story I put these two chapters up unedited just for you and my other inspirations: **abbiecarr **who without her review I would not attempt to do a story that normally takes me a month to do with a great Beta in a week's time because I go back to work soon and will not have time to write like I do during the summer and of course **LadIJ and RaLala and Jujubee58 . **

I am a melodramatic person and writer, but several elements of the story disturb me, and I know nobody in this crazy story is making much sense, but I will try to develop the supporting characters more so that the story makes more sense or I feel as if I will piss all of you off. So, hang with me this story has a few more twists and turns, and I promise a happy ending for all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge _****or any songs mentioned in this chapter. Thanks for reading and much love to all the new followers and faithful reviewers of this story. I'm 65% finished with the story. So, there is hope that I will finish it by the 29th. **

Chapter Eight

Mercedes lay on her bed thinking of everything that had taken place since she had come to New York. She had become reacquainted with old friends, learned the truth regarding what had truly happened between her and Sam, and was not doing something that she knew was both morally and spiritually wrong. The question she asked herself was did she like the Mercedes she was becoming? When she thought about it, she could honestly say that she was happier than in the past, but that she still wasn't truly content. True joy and peace would require something she even wouldn't let her mind consider. However, being bold and reckless, like Quinn and Santana had made her feel vindicated and even though she know that vengeance was wrong, surely the Lord being merciful would forgive her. Mercedes' thoughts were disturbed by the sound of Santana softly knocking on her door.

"May we come in Merce?" She asked before entering into the bedroom.

She took a deep breath and got herself together knowing she could talk to her friends now without the residue of the guilt she felt after leaving Sam downstairs tied up and blindfolded. "Sure, come on in."

"What happened? We were concerned when you didn't come to the den to meet with us after you left Sam downstairs. Puck said that you looked very upset and that he could hear Sam calling your name." Quinn said as she sat beside Mercedes on the bed.

"It was just too much. I felt so bad for deceiving Sam and leaving him down there and then I felt bad if I didn't do it I would let you two down, but I am okay now, I just needed some time to myself."

"What happened?" Santana asked wanting to know what caused Mercedes to flee to her room.

"Everything went exactly as planned." Mercedes said with a phony smile on her face hoping that she would convince the two ladies that she was okay with doing this. Their continuous stare suggested that they wanted more information, so she told them, "Well before I left him, I kissed him."

Santana's smile lit up the room, and she gleefully clapped her hands and said, "Good!"

Quinn hearing Mercedes sigh, looked the woman into her eyes and asked, "Was it difficult for you to do this?"

"It was more than difficult it was like an exquisite torture." Mercedes admitted to her friends.

"I can't believe it. We are turning you into a seductress. Who will you conquer next with your feminine wiles?" Santana teased her trying to bring a smile to her face.

"I am willing to bet a hundred dollars that Mike Chang will be next." Quinn said with confidence.

"Hell to the no!" Mercedes interjected and told the two, "I doubt that will ever happen."

"I think you should think about letting Mike hit it, and if he is a good enough lover, then make him become your sugar daddy, while we are working on our album he could back us financially. According to Artie, he's the richest of all our friends. He doesn't spend money, saves like there is a tomorrow, and hasn't chosen a wrong stock yet. You could spend your days writing songs and not worrying about bills, and Mike could spend his nights satisfying you both. It is a win-win situation. You could choose to travel with him when he has to do his choreography thing or thank God you a break from that Asian stallion if he is a little too energetic in bed." Santana told her friend.

"You could get him to buy a home in New York, and you can stay near us, or you can do as I have already offered live here with Santana, Puck, Beth, and me." Quinn added warming to the idea of her friend as a kept woman.

"That is very considerate of you both suggesting that I sell myself to Mike to stay in New York or keep staying in your already crowded home Quinn, but although I am sincere about working with Santana and releasing an album with her, I am signed to a contract and have a lease in California all of which would be too expensive for me to get off of. Although I love you both and I will miss you all until my contract and lease are up, I have to go back to LA at least until this dreadful winter is over. You both can come see me at any time and bring Beth to Disneyland."

"Something must have gone wrong with Sam if you are planning to return to LA so quickly, now dish what happened downstairs?" Quinn was going to pester Mercedes until she had all the details.

"I told you already. We had a long overdue talk. I initiated a kiss with him, and then I immediately left just as we planned. I didn't expect it to go as we planned, but it did."

"What did he say?" Quinn refused to let go she wanted to know everything that happened.

"He begged me to stay. He says that he wants me." Mercedes admitted.

"I told you that he wanted Mercedes. Men they are all alike always wanting some nooky." Santana chortled.

"Oh, so that is what Artie wants from you? Are you still seeing him not one, but two, three is this the third night in a row?" Mercedes sang to get Santana off her back.

"He wants to see me every night." Santana said not meeting the eyes of her two friends lost in thoughts of Artie and how well he laid down the pipe.

"Well, I have called him and told him that I want him to come visit us, and I expressly asked that he come alone this time." Quinn could see Santana's curiosity awakened. "I am going to find out why he brought you to me and to let him know that Mercedes and I got your back and that we will make him wish he were dead if he does anything to hurt you."

"Quinn, this is Artie we are talking about. You know him as well as we all do. He would never harm anyone. Artie has never left a person with a broken heart. He was always dumped by the women in his life."

"That is the old Artie. Artie since he's been walking has been hell on sneakers. He has been womanizing with Mike, Jake, and Sam for the past five years. Don't think that he hasn't changed; circumstances change people; you out of all people should know that." Quinn reminded Santana as they left Mercedes to some peace and quiet before they had to entertain Artie.

* * *

It wasn't until after dinner that Artie arrived when the friends were drinking hot chocolate in the den. They all got up and greeted Artie with a hug, but the atmosphere in the room had changed since Artie was last here. Now Santana was his woman, and the other two friends knew about what they had been getting up to behind his closed doors. There was a palatable tension in the air.

"So, are you two ready to give me the best friends' warning speech that if I break Santana's heart, Mercedes you are going to take me to the carpet, and Quinn you are going to make me wish that I was never born?" Artie said looking at them judging by their facial expressions he had hit the nail on the head. Artie continued, "I know you may not believe me, but I love Santana Lopez. I would never do anything to intentionally harm outside a little spanking when she is naughty that is but she knows how I love her when she is naughty so I don't even think that will be the case."

"Artie who do you think you are talking to. I know men, and I know you all think with your dicks. What happens when you grow tired of her and start thinking you want to go back to the days that you had without a girlfriend?" Quinn asked him looking at him as if he was a mentally challenged. Santana saw where this was going and moaned which caused Mercedes to look at her, but Quinn continued, "And please don't lie and say that you will always want Santana because she is more beautiful then all the women you know, we all know that beauty fades and that variety is the spice of life."

Artie looking at Santana knew that she was the sexiest and most beautiful woman that he ever had the pleasure to know, so he disagreed with Quinn. "Santana's beauty comes from within, sure she has a hot body, but her beauty is the type that will never fade, you must don't remember Maribel Lopez like I do that woman has to be sixty, and she is still triple X rated hot."

"God saved me from this idiotic fool." Quinn lifted her hands in mock prayer.

"Quinn that is enough I really thought we were true friends especially after the whole wheelchair bonding thing, but now I see that you don't respect the walking Artie like you had respect for the wheelchair bound man. I am still the same man, and I have only been a true friend to you never disrespecting you. I trusted you with Santana to make sure she got the help she needed because I loved her, and I thought you did, too."

"How much have you, Sam, and Mike have been around recently to know how I was doing. A true friend wouldn't have gone so long without seeing me. And I thought Puck was your friend as well, but I can count on my hand how many times you have been here since he has moved in."

Artie's face paled and guilt was apparent on his features. He didn't want to tell Quinn that he hadn't been around because he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself around Santana. And he knew Sam hadn't come to her house since Santana moved in and even after Puck moved in, neither of the guys would come that way because they all feared Santana's reaction.

Mercedes noticing the atmosphere of the room decided to change the direction of the conversation to remind Quinn of her motive in inviting Artie to her home in the first place. "Artie, there is a mystery that I think that only you can help clear up. Will you tell us why you brought Santana to Quinn in the first place?"

"I wish now that I had flown her to California to you, you probably could have helped her and not be so possessive of her as our dear friend Quinn is now. I knew how embarrassed Santana was that I saw her in the state she was in. I didn't come around because I didn't want to hurt her progress."

"Damn it Artie, tell me I want to know!" Quinn's voice shouted out like a gunshot.

"Alright, this is a very long story. So be patient with me as I fill in all the gory details. I was there the night that Sam was so drunk and confessed to Mike everything he said to Brittany and how he had ruined Santana's and Britt's relationship for good. It was almost a year after Finn's death and Mike had broken up with Tina, and we were all three sheets to the wind. But whenever Sam drinks the truth always come out. His whole relationship with Brittany was revealed all the lies he told about loving her always; how he wanted her always and that is why Santana didn't like him was just a whole lot of lies. He was mad that Santana had broken up with Brittany causing the girl to lose her mind, and even though he wouldn't admit he was heartbroken over his relationship with Mercedes ending, he was lonely, too. So, he told Brittany a bunch of lies at first to make her feel better and loved, the girl was about to shave all of her hair off. Then, he started pretending to be the type of man, he thought Britt would want. Everything was going fine until Santana came back wanting Brittany back. Sam lost his mind. He had never forgiven Santana for all her teasing and her disgusting treatment of him when they dated, and she broke up with him for Karofsky, the guy Sam fought because he was bullying Kurt. Sam got along with everybody at the school except for one person, and that was the one person Santana dumped him for. Sam finally saw this as a chance to get even with Santana by pretending he loved Brittany so much that she would be crazy to leave a guy who clearly loved her for someone who had already broken her heart. Sam knew how to manipulate Britt with that fake Mayan wedding fiasco and the rapture club, he kept telling her as a Christian she was supposed to stay faithful to her husband and their cat family. Long story short when Britt finally got tired of his hypocritical ass and broke up with him, the boy went crazy. He told us how he was so mad that he wanted to make sure that Santana and Brittany didn't get their happy ending, and the lies he told the girl to make sure they didn't. Well long story short, Sam felt awful about the lies and what he had done, and he wanted to go to Brittany to apologize and to Santana to make things right. Mike told him to not do it. That Santana would kill his ass and that Britt was married to Ryder, and it was best to let sleeping dogs lie." Artie paused to catch his breath.

Artie continued, "Well, I was worried about Santana after this, and I went to go look up a week later, and that is when I found out she was living with Kurt and Rachel and what she had been doing. They didn't understand her actions, but I did, and when she arrived at their apartment all bloody and messed up, I knew that I had to help her, and I thought that by bringing her to you Quinn a person who was obviously was experiencing her own rough time that the two of you could help each other heal by taking care of each other. I also have always had a crush on Santana, and I even admitted to her that I loved her when I told why she had to choose to get better the night I brought her to you."

Mercedes couldn't help the tears that began to fall down her eyes. "That is the most romantic story ever, Artie." She said wiping her eyes with the back of her hands and smiling at the two of them.

"Nonsense, I only did what any man in love would do try to help the woman of his dreams even if she played for the same team and would never share her affections with him. I trusted her with the one person I thought in New York had the skills and the ability to help her press charges and turn her life around. Maybe I was wrong in esteeming you so highly Quinn considering how you obviously feel about me."

"Artie I am sorry that I misjudged you. Your intentions toward Santana have been honorable, and I am sorry for questioning your motives. Thank you, for giving me Santana and giving me her to me as well." Quinn smiled apologetically toward him.

"I truly care for you both, but I honestly do love Santana." Artie admitted.

"I can see now that you honestly do." Quinn said as she got up to hug Artie. Quinn whispered in Artie's ear loud enough for everyone to hear, "I was very wrong to misjudge you, please forgive me." And Artie returned Quinn's hug with brotherly affection towards the crazy blonde.

Mercedes saw a touch of humanity coming from Quinn towards a guy, and Mercedes realized that there was hope for her yet. True love was always considered the remedy to melting even the coldest and iciest heart.

* * *

The next morning, the Frenchman had brought Sam a steaming bowl of hot brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal, but even after eating it all, Sam still felt cold and empty. Only one brown sugar in the vein of D'Angelo's song could satiate him and warm his blood. When the Frenchman returned and bound him after his morning wash routine. Sam knew he was going to receive one of his female captors as a visitor. When the door opened, he sent up a quick prayer to God asking for it to be Cedes and not one of his other crazy captors.

"Good morning Sam did you enjoy the oatmeal that I fixed for you?" She asked as she came down the stairs.

'Thank you, God.' Sam whispered up towards heaven. It was his Cedes. After taking a deep breath, he replied. "Yes, I did thank you Cedes. Every time I have eaten something and it tasted good, I knew you were the one who cooked it for me." He was so happy that she was back downstairs again with him. He wasn't sure that she would return after the kiss and him begging her to not leave the other evening.

"It is cold down here this morning. I am guessing the heavy snow caused the electricity to go out again last night, and the generator doesn't work down here." Mercedes said as she rubbed her arms up and down her body. She never had been down here in the morning, normally it was always later in the day or night when she visited Sam and the room would be warm by then.

Sam wanted to offer his body as heat, but he knew he couldn't say the words that he wanted to say because it was due to his desperation that she had run away from him yesterday. He would do whatever it took to keep her down here as long as he could possibly could today.

"It is very cold."

"I really don't want you to suffer, Sam." He heard her whisper and he so wanted to tell her that he suffered whenever she was not with him. He heard her move closer and could smell her, and all I could think of was his sweet brown sugar Cedes. His thoughts were interrupted by her next question. "Can I get you something to make you more comfortable Sam?"

Sam couldn't bear the thought of her leaving him again. "Please don't leave me Cedes. Stay. Don't go."

"I'll stay for as long as I think they are going to be gone." Cedes told him.

"Are Charlotte and Juanita gone for today?"

"Yes, they went to … go visit a friend."

The pause in her statement revealed to him that Cedes was lying. He knew her so well. One of the adorable things about her is that she couldn't lie to save her life. But why would she lie about Charlotte's and Santana's location. Instead of her asking that question, he asked her to sit beside him which she did without hesitating. She was close enough to him that he could feel her body heat.

"Cedes you feel so warm," he whispered as he brought his face close to her body. With his hands tied behind his back, he would give anything for a knife or something sharp to set him free so he could feel her smooth, soft, and glorious brown skin. If he was free he wouldn't stop with her arms and face but he would strip her down until she was naked and stroke every inch of her skin until he made his way to the hottest part of her body which lay between her legs. This was the hottest and silkiest and softest part of her and he wouldn't touch her with his hands he would use he mouth and tongue to taste her and drink her to he was satiated by the sweet nectar of her brown sugar that she only could produce down there. He had tried to go do down on many women after Cedes but none of them tasted as she did, and he was starving for just a little sip of her Cedes juice.

Seeing Sam shiver, Mercedes got up to arrange the blanket over his shoulders and then sat back down careful to not touch him. He imagined that she was sitting beside him with her hair in curls and her doe like eyes shining as she looked at him. Sam knew she could look different now. She had cut her short once before, but he was glad to see that she allowed it to grow back years later. She could have gained weight or lost weight. She could have dyed her hair blonde, red, or Gothic black. He didn't care what she looked like. Yes it was her curves that first attracted to him when she and Santana shook what their mamas had given them and her butt called to his hands, but even after seeing her barely dressed as Dr. Frankfurter when he was near naked himself, didn't prepare him from prom when her breasts were on display, and he could barely take his eyes off of her. But he didn't want Mercedes because of her ripe, lush body, he liked her for who she was. She was the most caring person that he ever met. So generous, so warm, so good, and he realized then that he truly loved her. He still loved her even after she participated in kidnapping him, torturing him, and refusing to let him go. He didn't know if he was suffering from Stockholm's Syndrome or what, but for the first time Sam was at a loss of words.

After several minutes had passed and neither seemed to be the one to break the silence, Sam finally asked a question he had been wondering about. "How long have you been in New York?"

"I've been here since the week of Thanksgiving and have been convinced to stay longer."

"Do you like it here better than Los Angeles?"

"I don't like the snow; it is much too cold. California has better weather."

"Did you ever think of calling or visiting me when you first arrived?"

"No, Sam when we first broke up, and I heard how I was temporary distraction while you were pining over Brittany. I promised myself that I would never let you have the power to hurt me again especially when everybody couldn't wait to tell me about your happiness with her."

Sam felt like banging his head against the wall. He knew all of this was his fault. He was stupid. "Mercedes, I am sure you know by now that I never loved Brittany. I said all that to anger Santana and cement my relationship with Britt. She knew I would slip and call her Cedes, and every time I did so she paid me back by calling Wade, you. You can ask her, and she will let you know she chose to believe the lies that I told her because she knew she wasn't you. She was generous like you and compassionate but she didn't have the depth of your character, your innate ability to be friends with everybody without offending them or making them think you were stupid. She was a counterfeit you that allowed me to be a counterfeit Sam. I was not the real me, trust me I can spell, can rationalize, and deduce things. I let hurt, anger, and betrayal blind me and make the second worst decision I have ever made in my life." Sam admitted

"What was the first worst decision that you made?" Mercedes asked glad they were now fully clearing the air.

"Breaking up with you," he admitted because he should have seen through her father's protective rage, he should have trusted Mercedes to make the best decision; he should not have gone back on his vows to her. "I lied to you. I wanted you more than anything."

He knew he had messed up when he felt her stiffen beside him. "Sam, please don't do this; don't tell me these things. I can't deal with it." He heard her confess and wished he could take her into his arms and rock her against him, run his fingers up and down her back to comfort her. He would do anything to have his hands free so he could just touch her. Sam couldn't stop himself even though he didn't have use of hands, he had to feel her skin. He once again moved his face and body towards her scent listening to the sound of her breathing. He lips found her ear accidentally, and he began to nibble on it as he worked his mouth down her neck burrowing his face into her neck giving her a love bit as behind the blindfold he closed his eyes in ecstasy, and he felt his cock harden. He moved his face and began to nibble on her other ear as he whispered into ear, "I want you so badly, Cedes."

Mercedes moved herself away from him as if she were rejecting his advances. Sam groaned in frustration. He was moving too fast. He was going to scare her away, and he needed her to stay; he couldn't take it if she left again like she did yesterday with the possibility of not coming back. He would really lose his mind if she wouldn't come back and visit him, then they would have to admit him to a psychiatric ward.

He could feel Mercedes leaning towards him, and he delighted in feeling her fingers on his face as she traced his lips, his nose, his ears and then lowered to his neck before her hands touched his shoulders and his chest. "You've changed Sam." He stiffened in response. "You are much broader and bigger than you used to be."

He was just a boy pretending to be a man when he first met Cedes. As a model he had to keep the weight off so when she saw him again at the funeral his heavy smoking helped him to resist Doritos and other snacks and allowed him to keep the excess pounds off. Plus, he couldn't lift heavy weights because with his face they wanted him for beauty shots and not muscle man photos. He had to stay lean and in shape while he made his money posing for shots. However, now he was able to eat what he wanted. He still worked out religiously and jogged, but he no longer had to be a certain number on a scale no longer caring that the camera put on an extra twenty pounds.

Mercedes kept touching him using her hands to tentatively explore his chest underneath his shirt. Sam was relieved that these were Cedes' hands and not Santana's abusive hands from the day before. Her hands were so small and plump that they felt so feminine against him. He had never felt another woman's hands like hers on him. Cedes' hands were just another part of her blatant femininity that couldn't be duplicated in another person. No other woman's hands could make him feel the way her soft hands made him feel.

"I must admit Sam that I have sometimes dreamed of you over the years."

"I've dreamed of you, too." In Sam's dreams she was always so close to him, but he could never quite grasp; her never get to have a happy ending even his dreams. Something or someone was always ripping at them tearing them away saying they didn't belong together, that he didn't want her, that she didn't want him. They were all lies. "I'm so happy that you are here with me now and that this is not a dream, but the real thing."

"I'm happy too, Sam, I really am."

"Then untie my hands, Cedes, I need to touch to be able to touch you, too."

"I can't Sam, there is no way that I would be able to tie you back and the Frenchman has only promised to not tell anyone of my visits if I promise to not untie you or take your blindfold off. I won't be able to see you again if I untie you."

"You don't know how tortured I am to have you so near me and never be able to see or touch you."

"Sam, I can't do this. Charlotte would find out it, and it won't be pleasant so please don't ask me again."

"I'm sorry Cedes, I just want to see you and you touch you. I can't help myself."

"I am sorry Sam, but this all that we can have," she said against his mouth.

He could feel her withdrawing. So he pressed his lips against her harder more forceful than before because panic was rising in his gut. He had to convince her to stay and not go.

"I have to go Sam, they will be home before lunch and I have been down here for a long time."

"You will come back won't you?" He asked trying to control the panic he felt whenever she left him.

"Yes, Sam, I will come back, and I will try to come back as soon as I possibly can." She said and then startled herself and him when she leaned back towards him and took his lips in ferocious kiss, nipping at his bottom lip until he opened his mouth and she was the aggressor slipping her hands back under his shirt teasing his nipples and rubbing her body onto his, and Sam couldn't stop himself from kissing her back battling for possession of the kiss with his tongue tasting every sweet corner of her mouth willing her to stay with him and not leave. He knew she would have to leave, so he kissed her harder, nibbling and swiping his tongue over lips as his arms and legs fought against his bonds. He began to mimic the act of love with his tongue pressing his tongue in her mind withdrawing and then continue to slake his passion for her with the only part of her his body could touch. He didn't care about pausing to let her breathe all he cared about was kissing her the way he fantasized about since he recognized her voice. He could feel both of their lips swelling because of the intensity of his kisses, but he wouldn't stop, his chapped swollen lips would be a gift that would sustain him along with the memory of her plump juicy succulent lips and how she tasted until he could see her again. He was not getting the brown sugar that had him feening, but her mouth offered him enough of her essence to temporarily sate him until she was with him again.

* * *

Pacing up and down the length of her room, Mercedes felt as if she was a caged animal. She had never experienced that much heat and passion between her and Sam before. It was lust that was all they could ever have, but those feelings of want and need were there just like they never disappeared. All it took was spending time in his presence, hearing his voice, and feeling his lips devour her to reawaken the desire that she had erected a brick tower to protect her heart against.

When it came to Sam Evans, he was adept at picking the lock of heart without waiting to be offered a key. He just stormed his way in knocking down every strategically placed brick. The more time she spent in his presence the more vulnerable she was becoming to him.

If everything went according to Quinn's and Santana's plans, these meetings were going to end in her allowing Sam to have sex with her. Based on his and her actions of today, that could happen sooner than any of them anticipated. She couldn't keep herself away from him any longer. She was like a moth drawn to his flame. Thinking of those words she grabbed her phone and began to play and sing along to Janet Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes"

_Like a moth to a flame, Burned by the fire_  
_My love is blind, Can't you see my desire?_  
_That's the way love goes_  
_Like a moth to a flame, Burned by the fire_  
_My love is blind, Can't you see my desire?_

_Like a moth to a flame, Burned by the fire_  
_My love is blind, Can't you see my desire?_  
_That's the way love goes_  
_Like a moth to a flame, Burned by the fire_  
_My love is blind, Can't you see my desire?_

_Come with me, Don't you worry_  
_I'm gonna make you crazy, I'll give you the time of your life_  
_I'm gonna take you places, You've never been before and_  
_You'll be so happy that you came_

_Oooooh, I'm gonna take you there_  
_Oo-ooh hoo-ooh oo-ooh That's the way love goes_  
_Hoo, That's the way love goes_  
_That's the way love goes, That's the way love goes_

_Don't mind if I light candles, I like to watch us play, and Baby, I've got on what you like_

_Come closer, Baby closer, Reach out and feel my body_  
_I'm gonna give you all my love, Ooh sugar don't you hurry_  
_You've got me here all night, Just close your eyes and hold on tight_

_Ooh baby, Don't stop, don't stop_  
_Go deeper Baby deeper_  
_You feel so good I'm gonna cry_

_Oooooh, I'm gonna take you there_  
_Oo-ooh hoo-ooh oo-ooh That's the way love goes_  
_Hoo, That's the way love goes_  
_That's the way love goes, That's the way love goes, That's the way love goes_

_Oooh that's the way love goes, Reach out and feel my body_  
_That's the way love goes, Dontcha know, That's the way_

_Like a moth to a flame, Burned by the fire_  
_My love is blind, Can't you see my desire?_  
_That's the way love goes_  
_Like a moth to a flame, Burned by the fire_  
_My love is blind, Can't you see my desire?_

Singing that song was the worst thing that Mercedes could do because she could imagine herself singing it to Sam, but she knew that Sam didn't love her, what they felt for each other was lust, plain and simple. Love was not for them not this time. She couldn't love Sam not after she planned to allow him to have his way with her, laugh in his face, and take the first plane to LA. Nothing between them could last after she did this. This time after she made love to Sam, she would be leaving to go to LA and wouldn't have to worry about phone call from him breaking up with her. She would be forever severing their relationship this time. He wouldn't end things. She would be ending them, and she knew she had the strength to do this. It is not like she hadn't slept with him before and based on that kiss it was something that the both of them obviously wanted. If she so was so confident, then why did she spend the rest of the night tossing and turning unable to fall asleep until dawn.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge._****Thanks for reading and much love to all the new followers and faithful reviewers of this story. I'm 80% finished with the story, and I'm warning you there is smut ahead as if Chapter Eight didn't prepare you. So, there is one chapter left and maybe an epilogue. Remind me to never ever do this again because I have become consumed with finishing this story as quickly as possible that I am neglecting my real world obligations, but hopefully this will bring joy to faithful readers during our time of lack of updates from our favorites during this moment of extreme sadness, but there is a season for everything and we must gather strength from these trying times and know weeping may last for a night, but joy will come in the morning. It doesn't say which morning, but a morning will come that we will be able to wake up and be happy again.**

Chapter Nine

Sam had been taken to a bedroom adjacent to hers, which Mercedes believed to be Puck's room that he never slept in because he spent most of his nights with Quinn. Quinn had insisted that they move there so Mercedes wouldn't have to try to make love to Sam on the chaise lounge or the rough carpeted floor of the basement. Quinn wanted Mercedes to be as comfortable as possible on a cozy bed that would make it easier for both her and Sam.

Unfortunately, Mercedes had to explain to Sam why he had been moved, and she wasn't ready to tell him so she decided to let actions speak louder than words. She opened the door to the room and summoned all of inner strength to be ice cold like Quinn and stepped inside. She saw Sam lying in the center of the bed with his arms tied to the posts of the bed with tight ropes with a new slender blindfold covering his eyes. He was so sexy that she couldn't stop herself from admiring the man who was a piece of art.

"Cedes?" He called out her name questioningly hoping that it was his Cedes who had entered the room.

The sound of Sam's deep and masculine voice drew her closer to him and ignited a fire that coursed from her belly to her nether regions. She couldn't stop herself from making the steps to bring her closer to his body before answering him with a "Yes, Sam."

When Sam called out Cedes' name he was glad when she got closer to him and he could smell her all of her from her usual perfume and deodorant to her fragrant hair and when she got next to him he could even smelt a faint smell from her mouth watering pussy which had a subtle odor but was growing in potency as she neared him on the bed. "What's going on?" He forced himself to ask not willing to believe what he thought was happening.

"I told you that I was going to get to see you again. Charlotte and Juanita have both gone out of town and because he has taking a liking to me and to you, I have convinced the Frenchman to bring you up and to have you back in the basement before they return."

"Cedes, you know what I am thinking right? Please don't play games with me. I thought you weren't willing to let us renew our relationship. I didn't expect this from you at all."

Mercedes knew she had to be able to deceive Sam, and he knew all her tells when she lied to him. She had to act. Mercedes could act the part and recite her lines as if she really meant them. "Sam I wanted to be alone with you in a place that is comfortable; I also have felt so guilty leaving you alone in that cold, dark basement that I thought a change in scenery would do us both some good."

Mercedes waited for a response from Sam, and began to get worried when he wouldn't say a word. Maybe he didn't want her after all. "I'm sorry Sam; I promise you I didn't want to make you unhappy with me. If you want me to, I will go back to my room."

"No don't go. Please stay with me." Sam said smiling which made Mercedes release a pent up breath that she didn't even know she was holding.

"Would you care for anything to drink?"

"Please and thank you. I would love something besides the water that I have day in and day out." Sam confessed as heard Isabella picking up a bottle and pouring him a drink.

When she crawled up beside him on the bed and placed the tumbler in his hands slowly guiding it to his lip to him drink it, she was shocked to see him finish the drink so quickly. "Can I have another shot?" he asked surprising her and she quickly filled the tumbler back up and repeated the process.

Mercedes couldn't help asking, "When we set you free do plan to get your revenge by pursuing us and pressing charges?"

Sam whose mind had been on how delicious the brandy was forced him to concentrate on the question and answer honestly, "I don't know yet what I am going to do. It mostly depends on how brutal the rest of my captivity will be. Charlotte tells me that she is nowhere near finished torturing me because her and Juanita have not gotten their revenge."

Mercedes realized that he referred to the other two separately from her as if she was not in league with them. "What if you were released tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't pursue them at all then."

"Why would you not try to get even at their unjust and possibly inhumane treatment of you?"

"The reason why I wouldn't pursue them is that I finally come to understand their motivations in reforming me. But they gave me the best gift that I could ever hope for, and I should be on my knees in gratitude because they brought you to me. Without them, we would probably have never been reunited."

"I don't know if I can believe you Sam."

"Why not?"

"You can't tell me that you are not upset about being tied and chained to a wall and blindfolded most of the time. I don't believe that you could not harbor resentment."

"I am upset and I hated the captivity and the horrible food and the coldness, but believe me when I say I want lie to you Cedes. I have learned my lesson."

"How could you be so forgiving to me when you knew that I was a part of their revenge scheme? I shared the same goals that they have to make you realize the errors of your ways and hopefully bring upon some change in her character."

"You are nothing like them. You never came downstairs to seduce me and leave me uncomfortably aroused, you don't toy with me and tease me, and then feed me horrible food and relish when you see me suffering talking to me as if I am a stupid little boy. You are different Mercedes. You have a heart unlike Charlotte who if she could legally get away with it would probably shoot me in the crotch with a real gun and not a stun gun with glee. If only you could see my eyes and see how much you mean to me you would know when I speak to you the truth."

Sam was slowly but surely breaking down every wall of defense that she had erected to help her ward off his worming his way into her heart. She had to dig deep to be able to resist him, and she had to believe that he was lying to her so she could help him gain his freedom.

It was if he could read her thoughts when he suddenly told her, "I would never intentionally lie to you ever again. I broke that vow once and will never do so again."

Sam continued to sweet talk her, "I just want to be with you, you don't know how much I want to see your face. I would risk anything for just one brief glance to see your eyes, your button nose, those lips, that smile that always lit up a room and my heart. Please take this blindfold off of me."

"You know that I can't."

"Well if you won't let me see you, then come and kiss me. Come to me Cedes."

"I don't think I can kiss you Sam. You are confusing me." Mercedes confessed.

"You are not having second thoughts are you?" Sam was worried that she had changed her mind about being with him. "We both desire each other. It's been so long almost eight long desolate years. I promise that I will be careful and not hurt you. I want to pleasure you. Can you remember how good it was between the both of us?"

That was the problem she could remember exactly just how fantastic it was between them. She had remember his touch, his kisses, his lovemaking, and the words he whispered so much that they haunted her and cut her to deep because she couldn't understand how he had fooled her so easily. And as much as she wanted to lose herself in him, she wanted his freedom more so she would die to her true heart's leanings and continue with this plan so that Santana and Quinn would have their revenge, and she would try to move on. She leaned towards him and began to initiate their kiss fully resolved to see this to the bitter end, but she jerked back at the thought.

He tried to follow he lips but was limited to his range of motion so he softly demanded more from her, and he was able to get her to press her mouth against his again as they continued to kiss, and she felt if she was drowning in a abyss those soft firm lips on a mouth that didn't make hers feel too big but just the right size under the tutelage of his tongue. When she tried to lessen the intensity of the kiss, she could hear him murmur in ear hear, "I need you Cedes, please I need more."

So, she kissed him as deeply as she could placing all of her pent up passions in a kiss that was so hard she had to move her lips to his jaw and neck leaving her own love bites as she tried to lessen the intensity of it. But Sam wouldn't allow her to, he kept demanded more and urging her to untie him so he could touch her, and she so longed for his touch, but she used her hands to touch him and begin to delight in the feel of his skin against her own. The feel of his nipples as she grazed her fingertips against them was her first bit of exploration and she liked how they hardened like hers. She couldn't keep herself from next licking and playfully biting one while grazing her nails against the other. When she did this, he let out a low growl which only encouraged her to alternate what she doing to the other nipple. Sam's response was to try break free from the bonds keeping his hands away from her, and he began turning his head so he could somehow work the blindfold from his eyes.

Mercedes started to work her way back up to his face and stroked his jaw lightly and murmured to him to calm down trying to soothe him so he wouldn't hurt himself, but as she rose over his body, he had dislodged the covers with moving so he was able to use his legs to trap her against his body pressing into her, so for the first time she could feel his full erection pressing into her lower belly.

"Cedes I am going to die if I can't have you; you can't imagine how cruel it is to have you so close and not be able to touch you."

Mercedes could feel his hot erection through her nightgown and his long underwear. So, she slid down his body and put her hands inside of his underwear and slowly slid the fabric off of his body until Sam was completely naked.

Damn. Mercedes said to herself as she sucked in a breath, she thought she remembered Sam, but she didn't remember him being this huge and thick. She paused looking at him and wondering if Santana's instruction in cock sucking with a cucumber was going to prepare her for taking all of Sam into her mouth.

Sam was waiting for Mercedes to make the next move, and he could feel her change in breathing. "Don't you remember me Cedes? Don't you remember how good I felt inside you?" He moaned wishing he could take his hands to hers and guide her to touch him like she used to so many years ago.

Mercedes was brought out of cowardice by his words and began to stroke him lightly with her fingertips. He felt so hot, so smooth, and so hard. Her gentle touch caused Sam's penis to jump at her touch as if it had a life of its own. His hips stopped moving as he grew accustomed to her touch. Mercedes continued to lightly stroke him up and down as she used to, but unlike the past, she suddenly felt her own arousal quicken as well her body preparing itself for his possession as she could feel her panties moisten. To distract herself from her own desire, she bent over him as if she was going to taste him.

Sam could feel her breath caress his cock, and he couldn't help but groan, "so this is how you are going to torture me, please touch me Cedes. I need to feel your touch."

Mercedes shocked him when she did something that she had never done before. Sam could feel her tongue lap us his pre-ejaculate as if it was ice cream on top of a cone. She swiped her tongue against him and then began placing kisses along his length. Sam couldn't keep back his moans and groans as he moved his head side to side with his eyes closed behind the blindfold trying to imagine what she looked like with her full lips against his cock. He was trying to stay still as she continued her innocent oral exploration of him, and for the first time he didn't regret the ties binding his arms because he didn't think he could have lasted if his hands were free. Especially after she flicked him with her tongue again and again before she paused, and then got off of the bed and he could her material falling to floor, and then she got back on the bed and whispered into his ear, "I'm naked now."

Sam knew he was being seduced now, and she was being an elusive nymph tempting him until now he couldn't bear the ties and the blindfold any longer. His Cedes was naked, and he couldn't enjoy seeing every curve of her brown satiny skin. "Please Cedes just lift the blindfold for a minute, thirty seconds, let me see you."

Telling Sam no, she knelt over him once again and used her mouth and hands to bring back his erection back to its former hardness. When she put in completely in her mind and began to hum, Sam groaned her entire name, "Mercedes, please stop, I don't want to come so fast…please…stop."

She ignored him. She had never had this much power of their lovemaking, and she enjoyed it. She began to let her fingers trail to his balls and began to lightly run her fingernails against that taut sac between his legs. As she worked her tongue over his tip, she continued to suck on his cock which was so hard, hot, and smooth in her mouth.

Sam finally gave up and though he knew she wasn't ready for it, he couldn't stop himself from thrusting into her mouth. He tried to be gentle but when she began playing with his balls, he lost all control until he was thrusting deep into her throat testing the limits of her capacity to contain him as he exploded into her mouth not giving her a chance to choose not to swallow. Mercedes surprised him as she swallowed every bit of his creamy release without removing her mouth until his hips had completely stilled.

Sam felt horrible. He knew he didn't hold her face down by her hair to make her accept his cum, but he was so brutal and rough and he didn't wanted his first orgasm with her to be all about him. Why had she done it; she never did this before. In the past, he was always the aggressor going down on her because he was addicted to her taste, and he loved the sounds she made as she climaxed repeatedly from his oral stimulation of her and the use of his fingers in her tight sheath.

He could still feel her fingers now brushing over him, and licking him on stomach and up towards his chest. She began tasting all of him now after having finished with his cock. He was so happy when her lips finally got to his, that he didn't mind tasting his own essence as he began to kiss her fiercely to make up for his selfishness to show her the extent of his appreciation for her unselfishness in bringing him satisfaction while receiving none for herself.

Mercedes shocked him when she broke the kiss and told him, "I have decided to take your blindfold off now." Sam couldn't help but think he was dreaming as he felt her fingers unloose the knots securing the blindfold and slip it off of his eyes and over his head.

Sam's eyes were only use to the darkness of the basement and hadn't seen light in over ten days. He closed his eyes at the harshness of the little light that permeated the darkness of the room from the bedside lamp. He blinked and began focusing and refocusing his vision his eyes tearing up from the adjustment process of growing accustomed to the light and being able to see in color and no longer in black, grays, and browns.

When he could finally make out images with clarity without pain, he looked at her completely naked beside him and he couldn't hold back a smile. She was gorgeous. She had always been beautiful, but age had only been her friend as her breasts looked bigger because her waist and tummy were somewhat smaller than the last time they made love. He wanted to tell her to turn over so he could look at that ass. His cock jerked back to life at the thought of it as he looked at her eyes still beautiful, bright, brown, and warm, her nose, and her generous lips. He wanted to just lay there and stare at her until he committed every part of her face and body to his memory.

Mercedes didn't know what to think. Sam wasn't saying a word. He was just looking at her. At first he smiled which made her feel good, but now he was just staring at her with contemplative expression.

Sam couldn't believe this sexy, confident, and seductive woman had so totally kept herself from exploring her sensual nature with another man. He wanted to tear the ropes from his hands and touch her so badly. "Mercedes you are more beautiful than I remembered. You can't imagine how I want to touch you and just hold you in my arms to see if you are real and not a figment of my imagination. Part of me believes I am still chained up downstairs in that basement and have completely lost mind and conjured you up." Sam admitted as he continued to drink in her appearance.

"Sam, your beautiful green eyes are the still same. I haven't met anybody with eyes like yours." She said as she ran her hands up to his eyes and touch the lines that were always present even when he teenager when he smiled.

Mercedes curled her body into his and ignored his requests that she untie him as she fell asleep on his chest with one hand caressing his face and the other over his heart.

Sam laid there watching her sleep. He didn't care if they ever freed him, if he was going to have nights with Mercedes like this, and he dozed off looking at her hair, her skin, her curves, and how angelic her face looked while she slept.

Mercedes woke up a couple of hours later with her limbs wrapped around Sam. He was asleep, and she worried about leaving him sleeping in that position all night. She knew he couldn't be comfortable. She began to softly massage him arms hoping that her touch would ease the strain in his muscles. He was so warm and strong, and she couldn't stop herself from kissing the muscles after she completed her massage. Her lips didn't want to stop at his biceps, so she continued to kiss his neck, his nipples, and his eyelids which she hadn't had a chance to kiss earlier.

Sam couldn't help but wake up when he felt Mercedes massaging his arms. Her small hands felt so good and he was doing okay until she began to kiss him, and he couldn't keep himself for becoming aroused. When she began to touch his cock, he couldn't help but murmur her name as he grew harder with each gentle exploration of her fingertips.

Mercedes' desire for Sam began to overwhelm her as she looked at his sexy self and heard the sexy sounds he was emitting from his throat. She continued to stroke him with her left hand, and then began to use her right hand to stroke her clit and wasn't surprise when she became instantly wet with desire while stroking him at the same rate and intensity until she heard Sam cry out, "I need you now Cedes!"

She got up on her knees and straddled him rubbing his cock against her pubic region allowing her moistness to lubricate his cock. She enjoyed the feel of him, but knew she had to stop because he wasn't wearing a condom. She remembered Quinn telling her that Puck kept his Magnums in the drawer of the nightstand. So, she had to leave Sam who began begging her to not go as she made her way to drawer retrieving the condom from its box and opening it. She slowly slid the condom onto his cock taking her time causing Sam to cry out in frustration. "Take me Cedes, please take me inside you. I have got to feel you clenching around me." He murmured over and over again.

Mercedes took pity on Sam's pleas and even though she had never made love in this position before she slowly guided him into her because he was so large she had to take him in by increments inch by inch until she could feel her body stretching itself to make room from him.

Sam thought he was going die he so wanted to ram himself up into Mercedes tightness, but he knew she was slowly adjusting her body to receive his length. But it was excruciating to remain still as she slowly sank down on him until she had finally been completely seated and still not moving.

After pausing for several seconds, Mercedes finally began to move and Sam began to moan in pleasure. She began to get her rhythm and bend over allowing her breasts to bounce against his chest and her hands to roam over his body and his hair. She was so filled to capacity with him that she couldn't help herself from delighting in the feel of him inside, as she increased the intensity of her movement that her muscles began to involuntary squeeze him causing Sam to move his hips in tune with her rhythm and even rubbing himself against her most sensitive areas.

When Sam finally began to fill her clench around him and her shudders, he began to chance the pace of their lovemaking until she was riding him harder and harder. He wanted her to slam down harder own him as his cock began to twitch ready for his release. As the final tremors of her climax claimed her, Sam soon felt as he could unleash his own passion and continue to thrust upwards harder and harder marking her as his from below until he felt his toes curl as he came into her shouting his love for her over and over until he was completely empty.

"I love you, Cedes, I really love you." He said as she collapsed onto his chest and he nibbled her ear. Mercedes couldn't do anything but lie completely on top of him. She couldn't move. She couldn't think and didn't think as he began pressing kisses into her hair and slowly moving beneath her. He was not hard and she felt some seepage as he became harder and harder and began to thrust inside her deeper and deeper that she couldn't stop herself from moving along with him. Her mind knew something was horribly wrong, but she couldn't stop herself from allowing Sam to take control as she lost herself in the pleasure of his lovemaking. Rolls and rolls of sensations went through her as she just held onto him as he continued to pummel her from below. This was totally different than earlier. It was as if Sam was possessed the way he entered her without pausing as he thrust harder and harder and rubbed his penis along her sensitized clit causing her to begin to quake in waves of pleasure as they both reach completion at the same time.

Mercedes didn't know what happened next. She must have dozed off, but she knew that she was wet, achy, and stiff as she opened her eyes and noticed the sun shining in the room, and saw Sam looking at her smiling. She had so forgotten what she was supposed to do and frowned at him thinking that she had to become ice cold like Quinn and do what she must to guarantee his freedom.

"Revenge is a dish best serve cold," she told herself as she looked him as she gathered herself up and put her gown on and grabbed her underwear.

Sam seeing her getting dress urged her to lie back down with him, but she ignored the pleading look in his eyes and headed towards the door only stopping when she heard him call her name.

"Will you come and visit me again?" He asked looking at her uncertainly knowing something was off he could tell it.

"No, I don't think that that would be a good idea. I am finished with you, Sam."

"Hell no, Cedes, I won't ever let you go, not this time I won't be able to lose you again."

Mercedes shook her head and ignored his pleas and screams as he continued to tell her that he would find her and have her frightening her with his intensity as he thrash against the ties shouting, "You will be mine Cedes, I will have you!"

"I know you Sam. I never recovered from what you did to me last time, and I will never allow any man to have power over me like that again. I am not some weak biddable girl who believes a man when he tells her he loves her during sex. I have more self-respect for myself than that." She turned her back to him and exited the room slamming the door behind her.

As Mercedes went into her room, she could hear him calling, "Please come back Cedes, don't do this to me; please don't leave me!"

As soon as Mercedes left him, the power was cut to the room and it was dark and the Frenchman came back in and got his blindfold and covered his body up. The man left the room, and Sam could only say aloud, "It hurts."

Charlotte and Santana entered the room hearing his voice, and Charlotte agreed with him, "Yes, it does hurt doesn't it."

"Now you understand how it feels to lose someone you love and want more than life itself." Santana said her voice no longer in a harsh Bronx accent.

"I understand," was the only words that Sam could say as he realized that he had lost Mercedes forever which was confirmed by the words that Charlotte told him next, "You will never see her ever again."

Sam wanted to speak, but he couldn't he hurt so badly. He allowed the Frenchman to untie him and lead him down to the cellar. Sam was dressed in the freshly washed clothes that he had been captured in and told by the Frenchman that they were going to release him. Sam felt no joy in the news all he knew that he had lost Mercedes again but this time he felt as if it was forever. As Sam was led outside and guided into an automobile, he just sat back blindfolded realizing the cold of the weather couldn't compare to coldness of his heart as he felt an injection in his neck knocking him out cold.

* * *

Mercedes was not well; she knew she had to tell Quinn and Santana what had happened. She realized as soon as she got to her room and showered something that she had tried to ignore. She allowed Sam to make love to her again in a used condom. She couldn't believe that she didn't stop him, didn't care, and didn't think to protect herself.

Quinn was the most worried. "Mercedes, I told you where the condoms were. You were only supposed to allow him to seduce you the one time and then pull away and laugh. What if you are pregnant?"

Mercedes couldn't answer her. It had been the last thing on her mind as she showered, but she couldn't go back and undo her actions. She couldn't eat or sleep after what she had done to Sam.

Santana tried to cheer her up and make her feel better with crazy jokes and foolishness, but Mercedes couldn't recover. She put on a fake smile and fought tears and wish her flight to LA hadn't been delayed because of the weather.

"Don't be sad Mercedes," Santana couldn't stand seeing the tears well in her friend's eyes.

"Santana I know you are excited about us releasing an album, but I need you to put that on the backburner, so you and Artie hold off on doing anything immediately. I don't know when I'll be able to return, so enjoy your romance with him, and I will call you when I know the lease on my apartment is up, and when I can be released out of my contract." She said the day she was going to leave postponing preparing her friend for the truth that she didn't know if she could ever return to Quinn's home with the memories she now had of her and Sam.

Quinn could guess what was going on in her friend's mind. So she brought up Mike Chang. "I know we have discussed this, but Mercedes Mike would be more than willing to buy out your contract and take care of your lease. All of you have to do is…"

"Hell to the no Quinn, hell no, I can't …" Mercedes interrupted Quinn only to be interrupted by Quinn.

"You love Sam Evans." Mercedes didn't deny it; she just dropped her face into her hands and cried in the misery that she had caused herself. She couldn't blame Santana or Quinn. She had made her bed and now she had to lie in it.

* * *

Sam Evans woke up the next day in his bed in his apartment. He didn't need to guess how he got there. He remembered the shot in his neck and his blacking out. He knew he could figure out everything that happened those last two weeks, but he needed to go to Lima, Ohio and do something that he put off for eight years. He had to talk to Dr. Merrill Jones and do what he must to restore Mercedes to her family. Because even if he couldn't have her, he wanted her to give her back her family as restitution for his action, so Sam left to visit his parents in Kentucky and then drove to Lima hoping that Mr. Jones wouldn't refuse to see him.

After talking to Mr. Jones and explaining Mercedes' situation, the two were finally able to come to terms as men. Sam was surprised to find the man was diagnosed with cancer and had been willing to see his daughter for years, but she wouldn't allow anyone to mention his name in her presence. Sam knew that Mercedes would never live with herself if she didn't get a chance to make things right with her father so he arranged a flight for her dad and mom to go see their daughter and force her to come to terms with their relationship. Mr. Jones was a changed man, no longer able to practice dentistry because of the chemotherapy that he was receiving. He was now several pounds lighter and much more humble than before. The two didn't part as friends, but they agreed to not mention his role in his reunion with his daughter for Christmas in LA in a suite in hotel that Sam had paid for himself along with their food and other transportation costs.

* * *

When Sam arrived back in New York, he didn't want to meet his friends at their local hangout, but he couldn't turn down their invitation to a bros night. Mike was the first to greet him since that hadn't seen in each other in a while, "Welcome home bro; it's been a while since I saw you. I heard you were by yourself in a cabin snowed in because of a blizzard." Mike told him giving him a hug as Sam sat down to join him, Artie, and Jake.

He exchanged greetings with the other fellows and could tell that there was a change in Artie. "What's going on with you Art?" He asked and was surprised to find out that Artie was now in relationship, but none of the guys were willing to tell him who it was so he let it drop, and began to question Mike on his love life.

"I did become reacquainted with someone and quickly fell for her." Mike admitted with a not so smug look on his face.

"Really Mike Chang not wanting to just to hit and quit it but actually caring for someone, now this is also breaking news." Sam teased his friend who hadn't been serious about a woman since bi-polar Tina. She was the only person who changed as much as he did their senior year at McKinley going from a nice girl to a certifiable basket case.

"Yep, and she kept refusing me, and now she has left New York City, and I realized how much I really want to have a relationship with her."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know she said we could be friends and to call her the next time we are in the same city."

"Pursue her Mike. Go wherever she is and make her understand the depths of your affection. Believe me you will forever regret it if you don't; anyways, once she sees how dedicated and devoted you are to her, she won't hold out from you for much longer."

"How do you know?" Mike asked wondering what Sam would think if he knew he was urging him to get with Mercedes.

"I have seen you in action, and no woman can resist when you pull out the full swag and charm of Michael Chang the second.


	10. Chapter 10-Part One

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge _****or any songs mentioned in this chapter.**

**A/N: Thanks to all of you have read this story and reviewed, favorited, and followed it. I know this has been a crazy story with many questions lurking in the minds of all my readers. I am doing epilogues so we can the back story and what's going on now in the lives of Sam, Mercedes, Mike, Artie, Santana, Quinn, and Puck. Kurt will be featured in many of these epilogues as well so when you finish this chapter know that I will not leave you hanging with potential unanswered questions. This is the end of quite an interesting journey doing a story based on another story in one week was a challenge, and I now know the importance of a BETA and fully developing a story, so I don't regret doing it. So thanks again to my faithful PMers who read this story and encouraged me to complete it in record time. Chapter 10 got to 8,000 words, so I had to split it up, don't worry Chapter Ten Part-Two will be up soon.**

Chapter Ten-Part One

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Mercedes asked her mom ignoring her dad's presence at her door five days before Christmas. She didn't think she could be shocked again. She had spent a week in LA and not hearing from Sam had been both depressing and disappointing. He said that he would find her, and it looks like he lied again. She couldn't trust him. The only good thing that had happened when she returned to LA was that her cycle had come on, and she was definitely not pregnant. Other than that she had gone back to work and taking gigs to keep her mind off Sam Evans and all of her crazy friends in New York.

"Mercedes we need to talk. I am your mother, and although you have refused to listen to my advice since you moved out to live with your aunt, I am still the woman who gave you life and loves you more than anybody including my sister. It is time for you to practice the Christianity that you say you believe in. One of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12) says to 'honor your mother and father that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.' Now I know now just how dishonorable your father has been to you, and you were right to disobey him when he was asking you to do something that was wrong. However, this separation is not doing you both any good. He has been miserable without you, and I can tell by our phone conversations that you have been miserable without him. So, go and pack yourself a bag and come with us. It is time for us to get our house in order and practice what has been preached to us for decades."

Mercedes didn't want to listen to her mom, but while she was talking she couldn't help but to look at her dad. She hadn't seen him in almost eight years, and he had changed drastically. No more the big robust man who could protect her from the boogey man and treat her like a fairytale princess, Merrill Jones was now barely 150 pounds and looked as if he was skin and bones. She didn't really want to spend Christmas with her family the first time in almost a decade, but her mother's words and father's physical condition, made her realized that she had to do it whether she felt like doing it or not. "Okay, you both can come in while I pack my bag."

After Mercedes was packed and ready to leave her tiny flat which consisted of a living room/bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette, she followed her mother and father down to a car that was driven by a driver. She knew her father made an okay living as a dentist, and her mom was a social worker whose income barely made a dent in their finances, but she didn't think they had enough money to afford a car with a driver to pick them up from the airport and take them the places that they needed to go. But who was she to know the state of their finances. When she discovered that they were staying in the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in the Royal Suite no less, she was shocked. Her father was always a penny pincher and had taught her the value of a dollar. The only reason she could see him shelling out over $10,000 for a hotel stay was that he was dying. Mercedes confronted her mother with her suspicions as soon as she was able to speak to her alone. Her father needed to lie down and rest from the flight, so the two of them were window shopping along Rodeo Drive which was walking distance from the hotel. After talking to her mom and learning that her dad cancer, Mercedes hardened heart softened as she realized her father could have died, and she would have stubbornly refused him the opportunity to obtain her forgiveness nor telling him goodbye before he left the world.

Mercedes went back to the hotel and as soon as her father was up she ran to his side at the bed and hugged him and told him she was sorry for being stubborn with tears falling down her face at the knowledge that this frail man was her dad returning her hug with tears coming down his face whispering in her hair just how sorry he was and how he regretted his actions.

It took some time, but the Jones family had reconciled by airing their differences, admitting their wrongs, and forgiving each other. By the time their stay and Christmas was over, Mercedes had felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, and she was at peace. She had her family back something that she didn't realize was a missing piece in her overall life's pursuit of happiness. Whenever memories of Sam and her time in New York would re-enter her mind, she would lose a sense of joy, but seeing her father's face and feeling her mother's warm embraces helped her to cope and to fully enjoy her Christmas making it her favorite one since she was 17 years old.

* * *

"So, Mr. Jones you didn't mention my name or me having any to do with your reconciliation with Mercedes, did you?" Sam asked after receiving a phone call from Merrill Jones while with his own family that he had often neglected during his downward spiral. He was pleased that everything was going well. He was going about trying to right his obvious wrongs to prove to Mercedes that he was the kind of man that she belonged with before tracking her down to win her heart again which was becoming a pattern in their relationship.

His brother was about to graduate high school, and Sam knew that he had been a poor role model and wanted to make sure his brother didn't make the bad decisions he had made his senior year in school. One of the things that his brother had that he didn't was the structure of a two parent home. Also, his brother also never had to work to contribute to their families overall welfare. Stevie had a job, but his money from his job went to pay for his truck and gas and for his dates.

Another reason Sam was sure Stevie wouldn't be a jerk to girls is because of their little sister Stacy. Stacy was never shy about giving advice to even people several years older than she was. For the past seven years, she had repeatedly told him to get his act together and beg Mercedes for forgiveness to see if she would be willing to take his sorry tale back. Sam would ignore her and pretend as if he couldn't see or hear her until she changed the conversation.

However, this Christmas he made her day when he told her that his only New Year's resolution was to win back Mercedes Jones and ask her to marry him. His parents were shocked, but after Sam gave them an edited account of his reunion with Mercedes, they all agreed that he should do whatever it takes to win Mercedes back. His mom burst into tears when she saw her son, the son used to be so proud of, back to his old self. Sam had to admit that his Christmas was the best Christmas that he had since before his family moved to Lima, Ohio almost ten years ago.

* * *

Sam was shocked to find out the identity of Artie's new lady love when he had made up his mind to right all his wrongs and find and apologize to both her and Brittany for his selfish and vengeful actions. His apologies to Britt went as well as expected. Although the girl was crafty, she was always forgiving and was pregnant with her and Ryder's first child, so she accepted his apologies readily, and they parted as friends. However, Brittany did have some news that shocked him to the core apparently Santana was now in a relationship with Artie and had moved in with him before Christmas, and that she had just moved out of Quinn's home to live with Artie. When Sam found out that Santana was still Quinn's roommate after all those years his face blanched in color. Charlotte was … Quinn. He was so stupid to think that as a Christian and as an officer of the law that Quinn could not be one of his kidnappers.

Sam could imagine Santana without a problem, but Mercedes and Quinn, two people who he thought were above revenge and would never torture him ended up being two of his captors. This just blew his mind. He went to Quinn's home and just looked at the place that he was once very familiar with. He knew that his last relationship with Quinn didn't end well, but he did not abuse her or mistreat her or cause her to lose anything like he had with Santana and Mercedes. Artie was right. He didn't pay Artie any attention when he told him that Quinn was not emotionally stable for any type of relationship. Artie had told him that Quinn was transferring her love for Finn to him, and Sam couldn't imagine that because he never took Quinn out on dates, he didn't buy her flowers, all he was a bedmate which she initiated not him, and he had kept seeing her for Beth because Quinn had been worrying about her daughter no longer having a father figure.

Damn, Artie must have been right, Quinn must have imagined them in a relationship and was slighted when he could no longer share a bed with her. He was attracted to Quinn, but she reminded him too much of his God Squad days and Mercedes a woman she called her very own sister that he could never end up in a serious relationship with her. He was such an idiot; Quinn must have felt her love for him which was never truly love in the first place was thrown back into her face when he decided he could no longer sleep with her, and she decided he was no longer welcome in her home. She really did have just cause to think he was an idiot. Here he was in a house that he had been in several times with a woman that he knew for several years and couldn't guess her identity at all.

Sam had to let his self-recriminations at not discovering Quinn's identity go. He knew that Quinn and Mercedes were close, and that if he didn't get his shit squared a way with her and Santana that she would be unwilling to take him back, so he had to do whatever it took to make his peace with them. He decided it would be better to confront them both at the same time in a neutral territory, so he arranged a meeting with them through Jake someone who he knew he could trust to not betray his identity.

* * *

"Sam, Sam Evans." Quinn said trying to hide her shock at seeing his face now clean shaven and looking as devastatingly handsome as he always did in the past.

"Quinn and Santana, I know you are both shocked to see me, after what about a month's time?" Sam said getting the truth out in the open was the best way to handle things in his opinion.

"What are you talking about Sam? It's been well over a month since I last saw you?" Quinn said trying to tell the lie convincingly.

"Don't bothering lying Quinn. I knew who Santana was before I was released, but was afraid of what you three would do to me after I revealed my knowledge of her identity. Look what you all did when I discovered who Cedes was. You made my life a living hell keeping her away from me. Once I knew that Santana had been living with you Quinn it was easy to find out that you were Charlotte."

"How did you find out it was me?" Santana asked finally having the ability to speak and looking at Sam with respect in her eyes for figuring it all out.

"It was when you said that I should think about the people I am hurting and how I could be ruining other relationships that I knew it was you. You and Brittany are the only two people's relationship besides Mercedes and that non factor Shane that I ever tried to destroy for my own ego and happiness. So, I knew from the tone of your voice and the phrasing of your words and your past seductive techniques that Juanita was my very own ex-girlfriend Santana Lopez." Sam went on to apologize sincerely to Santana explaining his mindset at the time and how he apologized to Brittany and told her what he had done and how he knew his actions couldn't make up for the past nor all the pain that he cost, but he was willing to start again if she was. Sam even apologized to Quinn for not realizing at the time that she was vulnerable, and that he shouldn't have thought with his cock and given her the opportunity to grieve her husband before sleeping with her. He explained why he was unable to continue his relationship to her and his excuses and apologies all involved his obvious problem of not being able to let go of his relationship with Mercedes, and he realized that it was his fault for everything.

"So, you still want Mercedes even after our treatment of you, you still want her back, don't you?" Quinn finally asked after listening to what Sam had said.

"That is the only thing I want now is to win Mercedes back." Sam admitted thinking that Quinn was now on his side.

Quinn looked at Santana and that gleam was back in her eyes as she asked, " How can you professed to still being in love with Mercedes when you have spent so much time fucking and/or fucking over other women?"

"I have only loved Mercedes Jones, and the only other woman I lied to since loving her was a person that I also had eating dirty cereal off of the floor, and I really didn't think she really cared, but I have apologized to Brittany for my dishonesty and actions." Sam said not liking the direction of this conversation.

"Why, Mercedes?" Quinn just couldn't let it go. "Weren't the other women you screwed around with including me and Brittany just as pretty, just as smart, and just as worthy of your heart?"

Sam could feel the heat rising in his face. "I was stupid to begin that relationship with Brittany, and I mainly screwed around with other women when I was drunk and used them to try to forget Cedes. With you, I could only remember her more. Since the last time I made love to Cedes, who truly is the only woman I ever made love to, I haven't touched or wanted to touch another woman."

"Sam, be honest with me, do you truly love Mercedes?"

"Santana, I have always loved Mercedes, and I continue to love her. I can't imagine myself not loving her."

Quinn got up and lowered her voice looking as crazy as she did when she propositioned him to getting back with her when he returned to William McKinley. "Do you honestly believe that you are worthy of Mercedes?"

Sam couldn't help but be honest and replied with a soft spoken, "No."

"Then why in the hell do you think that we would help you get back with her?"

"Although I know I am not good enough for her, I am honestly lost without her. I made stupid decisions, lived a lifestyle to pretend that I was living an amazing life when in fact I was slowly dying each day that I was not in her presence. The real dorky me, Sam I am, is not apparent unless I am in her presence. The fake Sam trying to be something that he is not is what you see when I am not with her. She is what allows me to be the best me that I can be."

"After all that you have done to us and caused us and Mercedes to go through we shouldn't help you. We should let you suffer." Santana said looking like the old Santana, and he could tell even though she told him that she had forgiven him, she hadn't forgotten about how much she had lost because of his actions.

"Santana I can understand why you feel that way. There is nothing I can do or say to make you want to help me. But I promise you that if you help me get back with Mercedes that I will spend my life trying to make her happy, and I would never foolishly throw away our chance at forever because of immaturity and poor communication skills."

Quinn chose this time to shrug and say, "We both know how inconsiderate and stupid you are Sam. We won't see Mercedes hurt again. Mercedes for all her bluster is a very sensitive generous woman. How can you assure us that you will never hurt her again?"

"I can't assure you, but I tell you I haven't pressed criminal charges or thought about getting back at you three for imprisoning me because I was reunited with her. She means everything to me, I even went to her father and made peace with him and encouraged his reconciliation with his daughter so that Mercedes could once again be with her family. Her happiness means everything to me."

"Very well," Quinn began seeing that Santana was going to agree to help him even if she wasn't. "We will not hinder you from being reunited with Mercedes or help you to win her heart either, however if you hurt her or do anything that causes her the pain of the past or the pain that you have given to us..."

"I will kill you." Santana said cheerfully going up to her hair as to retrieve a razor blade that she professed to carry in her extensions as a high school student.

Sam could tell by the expressions on both Santana's and Quinn's faces that their threat wasn't idle. They had kidnapped him before, and he was sure that they would either kill him or make him wish he were dead if he messed up and broke Mercedes' heart again.

* * *

Although Mercedes couldn't say that she was having the time of her life in LA being friends with Mike and having contact with her father sure made a difference. She was barely eating something that Kurt was the most happy with because she had kept off the weight, and he was able to convince her to go on an all expense shopping spree when he had visited her in LA to prove that he was willing to earn her friendship back. Mercedes was grateful that she had her old friendships back and was able to reconcile with her father, but she couldn't convince them or herself that she was completely happy.

She was just going through the motions at her job, Skyping her parents and friends often, and writing music that she hoped would go on her future album with Santana. Her parents were music lovers and kept plenty of tapes and even records from their youth, and she had convinced her father to let her borrow as many tapes as she could, so she could research her favorites and find YouTube uploads of either the songs or videos of the songs. When she discovered The Jets a group that specialized in pop, R&B, dance music particularly Latin freestyle, she was convinced that she had found a happy medium for herself and Santana. Success in the industry had been done before with their hits, "Crush on You," "You Got it All," and "Make it Real". Those songs served as her inspiration as she consistently began writing more to deal with all of her emotions.

Mike still was consistent in his pursuit of her which tickled Kurt, Santana, and Quinn. The trio would often to tease her to go ahead and put the man out of his misery. He was constantly fixing dinner for them, bought her a rescue dog to keep her company and his own dog company when he was out of town, and had convinced her to stop paying rent and live with him so she could save up money to move to New York. At first she rejected his offer, but when she saw that he was really being her friend and was mostly on the road working with different artists with his place being empty, it seemed that she would be an idiot to refuse his offer. She wasn't a complete idiot, and they knew that she was walking a fine line between friendship and more with Mike with them acting pretty much like a couple now that she lived with him, but she couldn't sleep with him no matter how hot he looked walking around in just his pajama bottoms.

Soon it was Valentine's Day, and Mercedes had allowed Quinn to talk her into going out on a date with Mike who had earned a chance with Mercedes according to Quinn even if she wasn't willing to give him one. Mercedes convinced herself to take a chance with Mike and had to admit to herself that she was excited about going on her first day in years. She was going to get Sam Evans out of her mind, and if Mike was willing to take a chance on her, she knew now that she could trust him with her heart. Mike was taking her to her favorite restaurant and had made reservations and seemed to be on cloud nine, and Mercedes didn't regret causing him this happiness.

Mercedes had chosen a red wrap around dress that Kurt had picked out for her and matching accessories to wear with her favorite black heels with the red bottoms that Kurt had bought for her even when she told him not to slipping theLouboutin shoes in her bag when she was not looking without a receipt and the box. Mike had told her that she looked hot, and she blossomed under his appreciative glances. While at the restaurant, Mercedes couldn't understand the shyness that had come over her. Their conversation was stilted and the night which had begun with so much promise was quickly becoming a dud. When their food finally arrived at the table, the two were grateful because then they didn't have to force a conversation. They knew all most everything about each other by now, and they didn't have the mystery that most couples had when they went on a first date. By the time they left for home, Mercedes thought she could even hear a sigh of relief from Mike that their date was now officially over.

However Mike was not willing to admit that he couldn't win Mercedes over and was not going to give up, so he walked her to her bedroom door and initiated a kiss with to let her know that he was not giving up his pursuit of her.

Mercedes felt his soft lips kiss her in a tender and warm kiss in which he pressed himself into her urging her to respond. Mercedes slipped her arms around his waist and parted her lips kissing Mike back with an unrestrained passion for the first time. Mike slid his hands down and gripped the butt that he had been aching to touch and squeeze forever.

However, Mike's enthusiastic fondling of her butt made Mercedes withdraw from the kiss trying to put some space between them. She whispered goodnight to him as he brought his hands up to her face to caress her cheek and lean down and kiss her other cheek before telling her to dream of him.

Mercedes had to do a group video call to Santana, Kurt, and Quinn to tell them about her date. All her friends were encouraging saying awed at how Mike was treating Mercedes like a queen. They encouraged her to continue to date him to see where it goes. Santana was the only one holding back comments as the other two applauded her dress choice which Kurt took full credit for, and then exhausted she told them that she would call them tomorrow night.

Mercedes could not go to sleep or remain asleep. Every time she closed her eyes it wouldn't be Mike's face that she would see instead it would be Sam's. No matter how Quinn told her dating someone new would get thoughts of Sam out of her mind, it was not working. Sam continued to dominate her thoughts.

* * *

When Sam had just cleared his schedule so that he could go to LA after trying to make right all of the wrongs he had done in the past, so he could pursue Mercedes with a clean conscience, he was not as happy as he thought he would be. While on the phone with Artie, Sam could overhear Santana's conversation with Quinn. He could hear Santana telling Quinn that she was so happy that Mercedes was now living with Mike Chang. Sam felt as if his heart was going to break into two pieces. The girl who had refused Mike was his Cedes. Sam didn't know what to do. His plan was to have won Mercedes over by Valentine's Day, and here he was in LA without the object of his desire.

Sam was doing okay once he ended his conversation with Artie and called Kurt. From Kurt, he discovered that Mercedes and Mike were just friends. But then he heard from Artie the next day that Mercedes had finally agreed to go on a date with Mike last night on Valentine's Day. Apparently she had called Santana and had told her that the date went well. Sam wanted to cry and couldn't keep his despondency and misery out of his voice.

Sam didn't know it, but Artie relished in giving Sam all of this news. A smile was on lips as he heard Sam's misery, and he could tell that his old "friend" was truly suffering. Artie told Sam how Mike was only doing what Sam had suggested and was finally making headway into getting the so called "key" to Mercedes' heart that Kurt had told all his friends was a necessity in catching Mercedes. Artie had finally gotten his revenge on Sam for hurting Mercedes, hurting Brittany and Quinn, and most of all for hurting Santana. Artie had encouraged Mike's infatuation with Mercedes even bringing him to Quinn's house for that reason. As he heard Sam hang up the phone without telling him goodbye, Artie felt the best he had felt in years fully vindicated.


	11. Chapter 10-Part Two

**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or Dawn Halliday's ****_The Sweetest Revenge _****or any songs mentioned in this chapter.**

**A/N: Thanks to all of you have read this story and reviewed, favorited, and followed it. I know this has been a crazy story with many questions lurking in the minds of all my readers. I am doing epilogues so we can the back story and what's going on now in the lives of Sam, Mercedes, Mike, Artie, Santana, Quinn, and Puck. Kurt will be featured in many of these epilogues as well so when you finish this chapter know that I will not leave you hanging with potential unanswered questions. Special thanks to Jujubee58, Alliecattie3, abbiecarr, OneCoolBroad, Ralala, Sarah, LadiJ, and Guests who offered constructive criticism and encouragement. This rushed ending is for you all, sorry it that it's not all the bells and whistles the 1st epilogue will be better.**

Mercedes didn't know why she was being stupid. Of course, she was going to have thoughts of Sam constantly on her mind. He was the only man she had slept with. She had decided to sleep with Mike the next night to fully exorcise Sam from her heart and mind. Her friends slept with men all the time without loving them. Surely, she loved Mike, but she was not in love with Mike. Maybe falling in love with someone was a myth, and both her Sam had only felt lust for each other. Mike was a great catch, and she was going to lose him if she kept stringing him along. So, she told him her intentions that morning, and Mike had been overjoyed.

And now Mike was kissing her and undoing her robe that matched her nightgown that she had on underneath. He was telling her how he longed to see her naked and couldn't wait to worship her body with his mouth and hands. Mercedes was allowing Mike to seduce her with his hands, mouth, and words until they were distracted by the consistent sound of someone knocking on the door. They tried to ignore the knocks, but the knocks became persistent, and they could hear a voice that they both recognized. "Mike open this damn door, I know you are in there!"

Mike released a pent up breath, and said "Hell no." He told Mercedes to stay in his room as he went to go and get rid of Sam. Mike regretted now giving his security people Sam's name as a person who was allowed access inside his building at any time without calling him. That is the only way he was able to make it to Mike's door without Mike's awareness.

Mercedes could not listen to Mike. It was like her body had a mind of its own and was urging her to the foyer of Mike's condo. Mike stood at the end of the hall with his back to her and just beyond him was Sam wearing jeans, boots, and a t-shirt underneath a coat with his hair tousled looking sexy as hell.

She could tell that he was angry and the anger turned into fury when he saw her and caught her eyes in a relentless gaze looking at her in her nightgown. Mercedes had forgotten that she didn't have on clothes, and Mike noticing Sam's eyes turned to look at her, too; both men with dark expressions on their faces.

Sam spoke first which was irrational telling Mike, "I am going to fucking kill you!"

Mike although angry had enough class to tell Sam to shut door and lower his voice before he "woke the entire neighborhood." Sam shut the door and walked further into the condo not taking his eyes off of Mike.

"Now why in the hell are you in LA in my apartment threatening to kill me?" Mike asked trying to get to the bottom of this so he could get back to sexing up Mercedes.

Sam lurched at Mike grabbing him by his shirt and lifting him off the ground to his toes and said in a cold menacing voice, "You know how I feel about her Mike damn you!"

Mike who now could barely breath because the grip that Sam had on his neck was too hard to break began to try to kick Sam to get him to set him free and was about to knee him when he a voice made them both stop.

"Let him go now Sam." Mercedes said as she finally stepped forward to prevent these two friends from fighting each other.

Sam looked at her his green eyes gone dark unreadable before dropping Mike from his hold. He didn't speak just looked at Mercedes as if she had done something incredibly unforgivably wrong.

Mike was the first to speak, "Sam, I won't be attacked in my own home. I would suggest you go back where you come from and get sober because I know you must be drunk to even think about doing what you have done. I was busy and I intend to get back to doing what you so rudely have interrupted."

Mike nor Mercedes believed what happened next. Sam turned around from facing Mercedes and slammed his fist into Mike's face connecting with a sickening crack on his nose as Mike crumpled to the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you Sam?" Mercedes asked seeing the blood spouting for Mike's nose she went to grab a cold towel to see if she could stop the blood from ruining Mike's carpet.

Sam didn't seem to hear her as he looked down at Mike. "You have always wanted her haven't you? That is what all the drinking and womanizing was about and the bad advice you gave me about going to Britt and Santana and asking for their forgiveness. You think you have won by getting the one woman that you know that I love with my all my heart. You are not my friend Mike Chang you are a no good lying dirty bastard."

Mike was now helped to his feet by Mercedes clutching the cold cloth to his nose. Mercedes looked at him listening to the words that Sam had said. Mike knew that Sam still wanted her and loved her but still pursued her anyway.

"What you had with her was over a long time ago because of your actions. Why you should you have the only girl that we all knew who was the best? You didn't deserve her then and you don't deserve her now." Mike said through slurred words as he got ready to defend himself against Sam's verbal and physical blows.

"Like hell," Sam sneered at Mike ready to fight him for Mercedes' love.

Mike laughed and said, "You only pretend to love her. After all that you did to her, you told me in your own words that if a woman is worth it then you should chase her. I only followed your advice and did something that you were always not man enough to do in regards to Mercedes."

"You knew exactly what was going on in the past and now. You know how I was destroyed without Mercedes' presence in my life." Sam told him in cold low voice.

Something lept in Mercedes' heart as the realization of what was going on was made apparent to her and she looked at the both of them with an outraged expression on her face.

"You are just jealous that I finally was able to win Mercedes with the right "key" to her heart, something that you have always been unable to do. You always are wasting time going for overt expressions of love when all Mercedes wanted was for you to be there for her. Not be her superman saving her relationship with her family and not going around trying to make yourself a better man for her when she was already in love with the stupid man you are."

"Don't push me any further Chang. Mercedes is mine, and I although we have shared women in the past that I didn't care about and you either, I won't share this time. She is mine. Always has been mine and will always be mine." Sam told him his eyes sparking dangerously with restrained anger.

"You are too late Sam; you have already shared her with me." Mike's eye twitched with the lie, but Sam was so pissed off he wasn't looking at Mike's face as he jumped at him and fists began to fly, and Mercedes couldn't tell who was being hit by whom. She kept yelling at them to stop, but neither man paid her any attention as they set about trying to kill each other. Mercedes had had enough and went to kitchen and got ice out of the ice maker and water form the sink and went back to them and poured the icy mixture of them stunning them long enough to quit fighting.

"Sam, get off of Mike. Get off him!" Mercedes screamed as she got between the two trying to get Sam the bigger of the two to stop by launching herself into his arms. Mike whose nose looked to be permanently disfigured told Sam something that shocked all three of them.

"The problem that we now have Sam is that I think I love her." He said as his eyes rolled back in his head and he went limp and melted into the floor.

Sam shook Mercedes off struggled to get to his own feet and looked at Mercedes with blood dripping from the side of his mouth. And was devastated when he heard the words that came out of Mercedes' mouth, "go Sam, just go, I got to call an ambulance for Mike to get him to the hospital, I'm sure his nose has probably if possible been broken twice, and I don't need the cops here arresting you for assault. I wouldn't be surprised if Mike's neighbors haven't called the police with all this noise you two have made tonight." She said as she went to her room to change clothes and make the necessary phone call grateful to hear the sound of the front door closing alerting her to the fact that Sam was gone.

* * *

After the doctor examined Mike, he told her that Mike had a broken nose, a fractured cheekbone, some crack ribs, and several superficial cuts and bruises but should be able to be released from the hospital the following day, they were just going to observe him during the night to make sure he was alright. Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief because she was honestly frightened that Sam had killed or would kill Mike. Sam. She didn't need to think of him as she rubbed Mike's hair but the expression on his face when she told him to leave would not leave her mind.

Mike woke the next morning to feeling Mercedes' hands going through his hair. "I didn't think you would be here." He said looking at her embarrassed.

"Of course, where else would I be? How are you feeling?" She asked her friend taking his hand into hers.

"Terrible. A nurse woke me up a couple of hours ago telling me what the doctor said, but its difficult to talk with my cheekbone being broken. But after telling Sam that lie, I know I deserved this and more. I am sorry for misleading Sam into thinking that I had slept with you."

"You don't have to apologize; I forgive you Mike." If Sam had gotten there an hour later, she would have slept with Mike, and it wouldn't be a lie. "If I ask you a question, will you promise to tell me the truth?"

Mike nodded voicing his yes as she asked, "If you knew that Sam loved me, why did you continue to pursue me?"

"I have always been angry that Sam has been able to get whatever girl he has wanted when I couldn't even get you, Quinn, or Santana to give me the time of day before I even dated Tina. When he was able to get you not one but both times, something that I told him that he would never be able to do, he shocked us all and even Puck was impressed. So after the two of you broke up, and Tina and I were broken up, I thought I would finally have my chance with you, but you had told everybody and anybody who would listen that you were not interested in dating anyone. So when we met up again at Quinn's with Artie's encouragement, I took it as a sign that you were to be mine, and I still pursued you even when you said no. Getting you to say yes was first about one upping Sam, but the more I got to know you again, I couldn't help but to fall in love with you Mercedes. And no matter how much it would hurt Sam, I didn't care. Sam was a bastard for what he did to you, Britt, and Santana, and he didn't deserve you."

Mike apologized to her and revealed his heart, and the something that she always felt wasn't right about Mike's relationship with her was finally out in the open, and she could tell that Mike was telling the truth, and after he finished apologizing to her again, he asked her what she was going to do.

"I've chosen to be with you Mike. Sam and I had our time, and it just wasn't meant to be." Mercedes said with tears in her eyes remembering how hurt Sam was last night.

"Mercedes, I can be a bastard, but only a bastard when you are not in my life. You don't love me, and no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that you don't, you do love Sam. I can't ask you to be with me when I know that you belong with him, so I am setting you free." Mike told her and turned his head to her refusing to listen to her even getting the nurse to make her leave his room, so he could rest. He didn't want to be the bigger man, but he had to because having Mercedes while she loved Sam was really not having her at all.

* * *

Sam was back in his hotel room the same room that he had booked for Mercedes and her family as he looked at his black eye and busted lip. It could have been worse. He had some minor bruises and discolorations but having gotten the jump on Mike prevented Chang from giving as he good as he got. He was packing up his clothes getting ready to head to Kentucky to be with his family because he knew that if he went to NYC he would be tempted to go back to his old ways, and Sam was never going back there after his treatment in Quinn's basement he had truly learned his lesson.

Sam was just about to wheel his suitcase out of his room when he heard a knock on his door. He had only told one person he was staying there and that was Mr. Jones when he asked him about the nice time his family had shared in the room. So, he was surprised that anybody knew he was in the suite. Sam couldn't believe his eyes when he opened the door and saw Cedes.

His hands were free and he could touch her, and there was no Mike Chang in the way. Mike, she had slept with Mike, she had told him to go, she had chosen Mike, and yet she was here in his room; he was not imagining her presence. "Why are you here?" He asked her when he could finally get his tongue and mouth to work.

"Why did after I call my mom crying to her telling her how I had messed up and everything that had happened did my father hear his baby girl in tears and confessed to you being the person responsible for reuniting us as a family and find out that you were in this hotel room?" Mercedes asked not answering his question.

"Because of you everything I have done after being released from Quinn's basement has been because of you. I went to your parents after visiting mine and paid for their trip to LA and made things right with Mr. Jones because I knew it was killing you to be apart from your family. I knew I wasn't worthy of your love just as he said years ago and proved him right, so I went back and tried to make right my mistakes with all the people I wronged because of you. Hell I even got Kurt to become my spy to report on you because Quinn and Santana refused to become involved even financing your shopping spree because I loved you and wanted to earn your trust and be a man worthy of your love." Sam decided to make a total confession of all he had done.

"See, Sam, Mike was right. Quinn was right. You are an idiot. I didn't need you to do any of those things Sam. I only needed you. I always only needed you. I was willing to give up my father's love and be with you because I loved the guy who taught me to love unselfishly. When you gave up your guitar, got a job, and were willing to quit Glee to support your family that was the first time you taught me how unselfish true love is. And then when I found out that you even became a stripper because your family needed the money and basically gave up your childhood innocence for your family, I was taught again by you how unselfish love truly is. Then, you gave up being with your family to come back and fight for me, and your doing this taught me what true romantic love really was. Love is about sacrifice. However, you never wanted me or allowed me to love you in return. You never wanted me to sacrifice anything to be with you. Yet, the one time I was able to give up what meant everything to me, my family, for you, you rejected it, and your rejection kept me from ever risking my heart again until this stupid revenge scheme. I fell back in love with you when I realized you were willing to sacrifice your freedom to be with me, and I was willing to risk breaking your heart and making love to you and leaving you because I knew that was the only way you would be free because I loved you. But you foolishly go about making grand gestures for me before coming to me and doing them with me. You have nobody to blame for our current relationship and your misery but yourself."

"I am sorry Mercedes so very sorry. You are right, and I am an idiot, but I know you have slept with Mike, and you may have changed, but you haven't changed that much. You are only able to sleep with people you love. I lost it when he told me you slept with him, and I regret being the reason why you fell out of love with me."

Smack. Whack. Smack. Whack. Mercedes couldn't help but hit Sam screaming you stupid idiot over and over again until Sam caught her by her wrists and brought her body against his. "I am so sorry Mercedes." He repeated over and over and wouldn't shut up until she clamped her mouth against his in a kiss that was meant to shut him up but became more.

Sam for once wasn't going to prove his idiocy and kissed her back hard forgetting the pain of his split lip and bruises on his body. His arms were finally free and he could touch Mercedes, and he forgot their arguing as her lips took him to paradise. He couldn't resist her taste as his hands were finally able to touch the skin that he had been longing to touch for years. Looking into her eyes seeing the passion in them, and her nod of permission gave him the impetus he needed as he tore her dress off her body and slid her bra off her shoulders and removed her panties and picked her up in a fireman's lift taking her through the suite and tossing her on to the nearest bed.

He fondled her breasts before sucking on her nipples making them taut having her push herself in to mouth when he would alternate to the other. "Cedes, I missed you so much. I love you so much." Sam said as kissed her down her body to his brown sugar that he missed so much. With her hands in his hair he went to work on her nether lips like a starving man at an all you can eat buffet. He took his time and inhaled her aroma before using his tongue on her little passion button and entering her sleek wetness to penetrate her as he mimicked the love act eventually bringing his fingers to play. She was scorching hot and wet and clenching his fingers so tightly that he thought he was going lose himself while still in his pants when he imagined that tight heat gripping his cock. He removed his hand so that he could undress and then went back to work getting her ready for his possession after he had put on a condom.

Mercedes slowly opened her eyes as he lined his penis up to her entrance and then slowly entered her. "Do you love me and only me Mercedes?" He asked as he entered into her tightness.

"Yes, I love you, Sam, I always have, and I always will." She said as she wrapped her legs around him moving her body urging him to go faster. Sam picked up the hint and began to thrust into her faster and faster as they worked together satisfying each other; if they were in a cheaper hotel room, the mattresses would be squeaking and the headboard would be banging, but because of the cushioned headboard and expensive mattresses in the suite, the only sounds that could be heard as they tirelessly worked each over to reach completion was Sam saying "I love you more" over and over. When he flipped Mercedes over and begin to finally be able to love on her doggy style, Sam lost control at the sight of her majestic ass. She had continued to lose weight but her curves hadn't gone anywhere, and Sam couldn't stop himself from going jackrabbit when the sight of him entering from behind made his already uncontrollable lust for her body burn brighter. To get her to where he was, Sam began rubbing and pressing on her clitoris causing her to climax and him to follow soon afterwards which shocked the both of them on how quickly their desire was aroused and sated.

"Sam, I didn't sleep with Mike. I am going to be honest and tell you that I was going to because I thought that you didn't want me anymore, and I couldn't get you out of mind. I have never loved anybody but you. You are my only love, Sam." Mercedes admitted several hours after they had made love and had gotten up to shower only to make love again. Sam had ordered room service complete with a candlelit meal and champagne and now they were once again naked in bed.

"Mercedes, I couldn't blame you for falling in love with Mike or with somebody else because of my stupidity, and I know I shouldn't do this now, but this is how I initially planned for our reunion on Valentine's Day to go. I want you to stay in bed and don't move." Sam got up and went to his suitcase, and unzipped the big red heart-shaped box that he had planned on giving her as a gift. Mercedes side-eyed him when she opened it and saw a red painted wise man as St. Valentine.

"Mercedes I know that I have not been the perfect man and that you deserve somebody who is a good as you are, but I have tried to be unselfish and let you have the best things in life, and I realized that I was killing myself by letting the best thing to ever happen to me go. Mercedes there is a button on the bottom of the St. Valentine, press it." After Mercedes pressed the button the statue opened up to reveal a lilac purple sapphire engagement ring similar to Princess Di and Kate Middleton's engagement ring surrounded by diamonds on a platinum band. Tears fell down Mercedes face as she knew that Sam had to have the ring specially designed for her, and the jewel size reduced to fit her small hand and ring finger.

"Now, my daddy didn't raise a fool. I asked your dad for your hand in marriage and asked him and your mother to keep my involvement in your reconciliation a secret because as I was righting past wrongs, I was also waiting for Garrard & Company Limited to make this ring based on a ring that your mother had given me of hers because you both have exactly the same identical ring size because you inherited her hands and feet. It took them over a month to get it ready, but I saw that as time to prepare me to get ready to be a man worthy of your heart. I know I have made foolish mistakes, but when I told my family that my New Year's resolution was to make you my wife, they were finally happy that I had returned to my right mind. Because without your Mercedes, I am lost and out of my mind, please don't condemn me to a life without my true love, will you please love me forever and become the future Mrs. Samuel Evans?"

Mercedes mind was racing. She knew that she loved Sam and that he loved her but to rush into an engagement after all of their drama could she truly believe that they could have a happily ever after with their crazy family and even crazier friends. Sam seeing the hesitancy in her face sought to reassure as they discussed everything finally getting all of Mercedes' concerns into the open, and then Sam said the following words that fully convinced her to take a gamble on him, "Please Cedes we only have this one life to live, neither one of us is promised tomorrow, and I want to spend all the days that we have remaining together forever, please say that you will marry me."

Mercedes looked at him in the nude and vulnerable and saw his large hands that had clasped her own. She felt safe and at home and happy in his hands and in his arms. She gazed at his face the crease on the side of eyes that were now there even when he didn't smile. His slightly bruised lips made his large mouth seem even bigger but no less adorable. Those green eyes so honest so open seem to have unshed tears at the thought of her refusing him. No matter what he had put her and her friends through, Mercedes realized that she had already loved Sam through better or worse and through richer or poorer all that was missing was in sickness and health, and after observing her mother during her father's illness, Mercedes knew if that was Sam was sick or their roles were reversed and it was her that was sick, that Sam would love her and stick with her the same way.

The yes she said escaped her mouth without her even knowing it. Tears uncontrollably fell down both of their faces as she said told him, "Sam I would be honored to be your wife." She would love and be loved by Sam as his wife and that would be the best revenge of all.


	12. Epilogue One

Thanks again to all the lovely people who supported this tale which is inspired by _Dawn_ Halliday's _The Sweetest Revenge. _**Disclaimer, I don't own ****_Glee_**** or ****_The Sweetest Revenge_**_. _**I do thank all my lovely reviewers and people who have followed and favorited this tale.**

Epilogue One: Artana

"What the fuck do you mean that you are in the hospital because Sam tried to kill you when he thought you were screwing Mercedes? Man, if I was going to place money on a fight between the two of you I would have chosen you because of your martial arts skills and his history of just being a pretty boy playboy, and I would have surely lost big time. How in the hell did you let Evans beat the crap out of you?" Artie asked upset with the conversation he was having Mike.

Artie had been carefully plotting his revenge against Sam for years. He was mad at Sam because he hurt Mercedes, Quinn, Britt, and Santana. He had always been attracted to all four of the sexiest ladies to ever be in New Directions, but he never thought that he would have chance with any of them until Brittany had pursued him and took his virginity, and he broke up with her only to allow Puck to convince him to try to win her back, and then when he found out that Brittany was cheating on him with Santana and hadn't invited him to play like they had with Puck, he was devastated not because he lost Brittany like everyone assumed, but because he lost out of chance to be with Santana the only girl in the glee club he had been having wet dreams of since he first saw her in her Cheerio's uniform.

And although Artie had been daily fantasizing about a threesome with Mercedes and Santana ever since they performed _River Deep Mountain High_, he never felt that those two would give him the time of the day so that it why he never made a serious play for either of them. When Sam got Mercedes and Santana reluctantly came out as a bona fide lesbian during their senior year, he knew he never had a chance at either of his dream girls. Artie reluctantly became content to be Mercedes' friend and Santana's frenemy, and his bond with Quinn when she was temporarily paralyzed made him for one second think that maybe there was a future for the two of them until she went psycho for that damn prom queen crown again, and he lost any hope of there ever being anything romantic between the two of them with her spreading her affections between Joe Hart and Puck during the latter part of their senior year when even Sugar had chosen Rory over him.

Eventually, Artie realized as Quinn's friend that she needed a relationship with a boy as a friend. And Quinn finally had a relationship with a boy that wasn't sexual or romantic. Artie continued to be Quinn's friend when he moved to New York and was a constant visitor at her home before and after Finn's death along with Sam.

Sam and Quinn started to date much too soon after Finn's death and she believed that Finn's feelings for her were now Sam's feelings for her and transferred her emotions for Finn onto Sam. So, Quinn was a hot mess who didn't deal with her grief but denied it and pressed into a love match with Sam when Sam thought she knew it was just for sex and only because she initiated it every time. She built up that whole romantic fantasy in her mind while Sam was trying to be there for her and Beth. When she began to get clingy, planning the wedding, buying the dress, Artie gave Sam the heads up and told him to end it with Quinn before things got out of control. Because drunken Sam tells all. Artie knew Sam didn't love Quinn because the name he cries out with tears in his beer was always Mercedes as the true love of his life.

After Artie had convinced Sam (who was about to end things with Quinn because she reminded him too much of Cedes anyways) to break up with Quinn, and Quinn went bat shit crazy, Artie realized he could no longer tolerate her extreme behavior. Not much later, Artie found out that Santana was assaulted and came to the rescue and took her to Quinn because he knew Quinn was desperate for somebody to love and Santana was desperate to be loved. Artie only wanted the best for both of the women who he knew were devastated by Sam being clueless, and he was pissed at Sam because the fake blond was only thinking with his dick and not thinking that his actions had consequences that he couldn't imagine or prepare for.

And although Artie knew that Sam was not the reason why Quinn had her like fifth mental meltdown, love had clouded his brain when he saw Santana abused like she was and spiraling down a path that would either lead to prison or a premature death. He began to hate Sam and remembered all the things that Sam had done in the past to cause him to want to beat his fake blond ass. First, he was still sore from how devastated Mercedes was after Sam and the diva initially broke up.

Second was Sam's close relationship with Blaine out of all people somebody who had insulted him on more than one occasion. Artie couldn't figure their friendship out unless Sam saw in Blaine the male version of Mercedes with his eccentric clothing and relationship with Kurt but Blaine was more like Berry than Jones. And when the two of them went against him and Britt for the class presidency and vice presidency, this proved to Artie that Sam Evans was all about Sam Evans, and he didn't care if they remained friends are not because the guy obviously had issues, and Artie didn't have time to help that hot mess or want to intrude on Blam even when he saw Blaine lusting after Sam, and Sam had only eyes for Brittany Pierce.

When Sam had the audacity to date Brittany and take advantage of her by lowering his intellect to supposedly help her when Brittany only thought differently and wasn't dumb at all. Her knowledge of cat diseases had helped them win their academic decathlon and had proven that her capacity for knowledge was interest based not due to unintelligence. During that whole end of the world and fake marriage to Brittany, Artie realized that something was wrong with Sam. When Sam completely ignored Mercedes and wouldn't correct Brittany when she called Unique Mercedes any respect that Artie had left for Evans was gone.

However, Artie had temporarily let the past go when he realized how miserable Sam was every time they went out drinking in New York with Mike or with Jake. Sam missed his family and Mercedes so much that he became a shell of a person but when he was drunk the true Sam would make an appearance and that was the only time that Artie could hang around him. During this time Artie's attraction for Santana continued to grow when they reconnected in New York, and he saw how vulnerable she was when Britt broke up with her. Artie eventually fell in love with her because Santana high on coke was many things, and she would talk to Artie about lots of things, and he saw the vulnerability that she always masked with her tough girl facade. They became friends during this time. And Artie couldn't help falling in love with her. When she got hurt, Artie was pissed off and never forgave Sam for being the reason why Santana was a coke addicted escort who self-medicated by using drugs to get over her broken-heart.

Artie was so lost in his own thoughts about why he hated Sam so much that he almost missed Mike telling him that he had refused Mercedes and sent her to Sam. When Artie finally figured out what Mike Chang had said. He just hung up the phone in anger. Ain't no way Sam Evans was going to get his dream girl and have a happy ever after if he had anything to do with it, he thought as he called Santana to see if she had heard any news from Mercedes.

"Hey bee I was just thinking of you when you called me." Santana greeted Artie after answering her phone.

"Listen bee I was wondering if you had heard anything from Mercedes since last night. I just heard from Mike, and Sam beat his ass and put him in the hospital. He was so violent, and I am afraid that he might hurt Mercedes if she has any contact with him." Artie lied trying to get Santana's protective instincts for Mercedes aroused as well paint Sam as a devil in his lady love's eyes.

"Damn, Trouty has finally flipped the script. I am not surprised remember he was the first of the Glee guys to stand up for Kurt and go after Karofsky even though he had known Kurt for the smallest amount of time unlike the rest of you dweebs during that time. It was the reason I was so quick to use him to make Quinn jealous after I broke them up giving her and Finn mono was one of my most delicious evil plans. I am surprised we are all friends now after all the shit we put each other through, but I know Sam Evans, and I know Mercedes Jones, and believe me that man loves Mercedes so much that he wouldn't hurt a hair on her head or intentionally hurt anybody that she loves." Santana revealed which was not what Artie wanted to hear.

"Are you telling me that you believe that Sam deserves happiness with Mercedes the one girl that we know who is the nicest, most generous, self-sacrificing, and is truly beautiful inside and out after all he has done to all of you?" Artie asked not liking how this conversation was going one bit.

"Sam has changed Artie. He is no longer the selfish bastard screwing women and playing childish games to get revenge. Revenge is something that I actually taught him when I made him ditch Quinn for me. I have gone back to seeing my therapist that I used to visit after completing rehab. She told me unforgiveness is like a cancer. That the more I meditate on all those who did me wrong, the worse I feel, and this doesn't affect the person who has hurt me at all. She made me realize that I was given my abusers the power to continue to hurt me by holding onto unforgiveness. I had to release all the pain of my past and let the shit go. It wasn't making me stronger only making me crazier, and I was going to end up on an episode of _Snapped_ if I continued to live in the past. I have pressed on and open myself up because I am loved by you, and I want to be a woman worthy of your love. So, I am fixing me, so I can be the best woman for me and have the best relationship with you that I can have. Cedes is a grown ass woman and believe me she wouldn't be with Sam unless she loved him. I have no interest in butting in and telling her to do anything that she doesn't want to do. She is my friend, and I only want the best for her, and if she wants that big ass trouty mouth lovesick loser, then I will let her enjoy him and his corny ass." Santana revealed as she made her way home to Artie.

"Okay Bee you gotta do what you gotta do, and even if I don't agree, I won't try to prevent you for becoming your best self after watching all those episodes of _Iyanla Fix My Life_ with you I know that this is what you need to be happy so I won't bring this up again, but I can't let it go. I don't think Sam deserves Mercedes, and if she asks me I will tell her to not give that fool another chance." Artie said surprised to hear the door unlocking and to see Santana coming in the door.

"Oh Artie hang up the damn phone. I am standing in front of you not put those soft lips of yours on mine and greet me the way you normally greet the queen of your heart when I come home to you." Santana said and began kissing Artie and then allowing Artie to lead her to the bedroom where her seduction of him had him crying out her name as she rid him reversed cowboy allowing him to reach her spot causing her to squirt all over him which he could only do when he took her from behind or she rid him from behind.

Causing his woman to squirt was something that nobody was ever able to make her do, and something Santana really didn't believe was possible until Artie made her do it on their first night of loving. Her initiation to something new in sex cemented the hold that Artie already had on her and made his head swell twice its normal arrogant size. He was waiting until the love of his was asleep to call psycho Quinn, and the two of them would surely be able to come up with a plan to keep Mercedes and Sam apart was Artie's final thoughts as he unintentionally drifted off to sleep. His woman had worn the both of them plum out.

* * *

Meanwhile back in LA in their suite, Sam and Mercedes were busy getting busy. Sam had finally convinced Mercedes to allow him to blindfold her and tie her arms together with one of his ties and have her spread eagle on the bed similar to how he was tied up for her when she had her way with him in Quinn's home.

"Sam, I am not sure about the blindfold thing. I don't mind being tied up, but I feel uncomfortable with the blindfold." Mercedes admitted as she had to wait for whatever erotic teasing Sam was going to put her through in his fake revenge.

"Although, I wanted to remove the blindfold to see your eyes and your face, and I will admit your gorgeous body, there were some parts of being blindfolded and anticipating your touch that made me cum harder than I have ever climaxed before." Sam admitted not forgetting how he had begged Mercedes to untie him and remove the blindfold even when it was pleasurable at times. He mainly just wanted to see her to convince himself he wasn't crazy and to see the love of his life face to face and rememorize every feature because her absence from his life had been a tortuous experience.

"If you say so Sam, all I can remember is your pleadings so much that I still have dreams of you begging me and me relenting only to fall prey to your green eyes and grant you your every request." Mercedes admitted.

"Well, we will reenact those dreams on another night as well as some of the ones I had after I first recognized you." Sam murmured as he begin to drink his favorite nectar of her hot brown sugar from her second set up lips as soon as he stopped kissing her mouth.

Mercedes began to moan loudly as Sam began to lick her from clit to slit between feasting on her essence. She felt as he was going to explode when he began to just rapidly lick her clit over and over again so she could become wetter and wetter. And Sam suddenly stopped thrusting his fingers inside of her and licking her clit with his tongue to drink her syrupy goodness and smack his lips. Mercedes couldn't see him but she could tell by his body heat that he had left his place between her legs without allowing her to come how rude. She couldn't even grip his hair to force him to continue.

Sam could have eaten Mercedes all night, but he couldn't stop himself for wanting to plunge into her with his hot and achy cock, so he had to stop before their play time was over too soon. Sam began to get the oils that the hotel furnished with each room and began to massage Mercedes' lower belly and then rising up to he was oiling and massaging each breast with his hands. Before Sam could even stop himself, he was crawling up towards the head of the bed and running his stiff and engorged cock in the valley between her breasts. The oil had provided a nice lubricant and he was able to use one of his massive hands to hold her breast together as he began to work his cock through the slight opening he had left.

Mercedes never knew how pleasurable titty fucking was until Sam's cock began to tap her mouth and she opened it in response and began to taste the precum that was gathered on the top. She grew bolder and began to tease the head of his cock like Santana had instructed.

Sam began to ram himself between her breast enjoying the licking, sucking, and playing that Mercedes was doing with the most sensitive side of his cock so much that he knew he was about to explode. He released her breasts and began to masturbate so that when he came streams of cum coated her breast evenly as he spent himself to prepare himself for Round 2.

Mercedes was glad that Sam cleaned her up after coming all over his body. Her breasts and nipples were so sensitive after his handling that she was hardly able to bear the touch of his seed on them especially her nipples. Sam seemed to know that her nipples were sensitive and he would linger on them while cleaning her up. Sucking on them to keep them hardened and causing Mercedes to moan in ecstasy.

Mercedes now wanted her hands free so that she could torture Sam the way he was torturing her. Not having her vision made all of her senses more potent. Her touch receptors had her on overload and when Sam began to stroke her again rubbing his dick against her causing her to release streams of her essence that she could smell surrounding his ever thickening cock as he continued to rub himself against her causing her to scream, "Please Sam, I need you to the fuck me!" As another orgasm begin to build up inside of her.

"You want me to fuck you." Sam said as he panted trying to keep himself from not immediately following her commands.

"Yes, Sam, I need you now." Mercedes said as she begin to struggle with the ties wanting to touch herself so she could come because Sam had stopped rubbing himself against her again just as he had stopped eating her out earlier. She could hear him move away from her, and she was about to beg him to return when she heard and felt him return to the bed and lifted up her legs so that her short legs were on his shoulders.

Sam began to thrust himself in and out of Mercedes. He couldn't help himself from telling her how tight and wet she was as he continued to piston in and out between her legs. All he knew was that her cries and demands for more and harder were pushing him quickly to the brink so he tried to give her what he wanted without coming too soon. However when she demanded that he fuck her into oblivion something that Sam never thought he would hear her say, Sam couldn't stop himself from stroking her inside with his cock and outside with his fingers caressing her clit.

Mercedes couldn't stop herself from exploding and calling out Sam's name in pleasure. Instead of Sam lessening the intensity of his thrusts, he began pounding into her over and over and then doing a circular motion that had Mercedes weeping from being brought back to the brink so soon after her last orgasm. She was begging him to stop now; the pleasure being almost too much, but her cries and pleas seem to fall on deaf ears as Sam continued to ride her through her next orgasm that triggered his own.

Sam couldn't even feel his legs as he lowered Mercedes legs and took off the condom that he had put on after he pulled away from her when he was rubbing himself against her wetness earlier. He threw the condom in the nearby wastebasket and curled up behind the sexiest woman ever. And was about to nod off to sleep when he felt her elbow him in his chest.

"Sam I love you, but if you don't untie my hands and take this blindfold off before you go to sleep, I think my fingers will fall off due to lack of circulation of blood from my arms." Mercedes admitted as she rolled around to face him.

"I am sorry love." Sam said as he removed the blindfold and untied her hands kissing the skin that had gotten chafe when she trying to free herself during their lovemaking.

"You better be glad that I love you and trust you enough to allow you to do that to me and although the experience was very pleasurable, I do understand your feelings now of being trapped and not being able to see which made me anticipate and be surprised more by all that you did. I wouldn't want to do this every night, but I can see the twisted nature behind the idea of being bound and blindfolded to give another sexual pleasure or to receive some sort of mastery over another." Mercedes admitted as she snuggled into Sam's chest.

"Well, all I know is that with you bound or not bound that you are the only woman who has ever made me feel complete, and I can't wait until you marry me. Now your parents have agreed to accompany my family when we elope to New Zealand?" Sam asked thinking of the phone conversations they had had with both of their parents earlier concerning their marriage and wedding. Both of them were extreme _Lord of the Rings_ fans of both the movies and the books and when researching one of the most romantic and quickest places to get married they discovered that to marry on top of a mountain in New Zealand was the second most romantic wedding location in the world. The two couldn't pass up on an opportunity to honeymoon in New Zealand and take a Lord of the Rings tour while experiencing all the delights that the country offered.

"Yes, Sam and they have agreed to keep it hushed. I love our friends, but I don't need any more of their craziness in our lives, so I think that we should elope with just family and then enjoy our time in New Zealand reconnecting with Sam I am and Cedes and letting the past go. I really think you should move to LA, so we won't have to worry about them meddling in our lives." Mercedes said as she began to nod off.

Sam thought about what Mercedes had said and realized that he didn't have to be in New York to have his career. LA was just a good a place as NYC, and only Mike would be near them and if the Asian wanted to stay alive and well he wouldn't try to mess up his relationship with Cedes. Sam was grateful that the man had sent Mercedes to him after Sam had left him a bloody mess. He realized Mike and him could one day be friends again, but not until Mercedes was his wife and had given birth to at least three of his children. The thoughts of his and Mercedes' future children began to run through Sam's mind as he finally gave into a deep slumber dreaming of his future family with a smile on his face.

* * *

A/N Next epilogue will be Quick with elements of Quartie as Artie will contact Quinn who has finally been given an ultimatum by Puck. Puck's side of the story is next…as well as whether or not Quartie will try to ruin Samcedes' happiness. Thanks for the support from abbiecarr, LadiJ, krazykay23,Alliecattie3, RaLala, Jujubee58, OneCoolBroad, chesneygibbs, Guests, Emma, and Sarah who cheered me up and helped to write this story. I promised some of you more epilogues, and they will occur on a monthly basis the next one in October then November and December hopefully. I am meshing the Samcedes epilogue up with everyone else, so I can get it all done in four installments. Artana finished, Quick next with Artie, then Kurtana, and finally Samcedes and what happened to Mike for the Christmas edition hopefully that will be set in the future to tell you what happened to all these cray cray people.


	13. Epilogue Two

**_A/N: I don't own anything related to Glee or The Sweetest Revenge by Dawn Halliday. I have departed from The Sweetest Revenge but use some Glee elements in this next epilogue in the four part epilogue series of The Revenge which features Quinn, Puck, and a little Artie and even less Kurt. Two more epilogues to go one in November and the other in December. I hope you enjoy it and this if for Jollyrancher25 who laments about no new Samcedes' fanfiction updates. I had one weekend free of doing work, and I got this up in record time and no proofreading so please forgive the mistakes._**

**_Quicktie_**

"Artie, is Santana okay?" Quinn asked wondering why Artie was calling her phone. She was trying to get her life back on track, and she hadn't been keeping up with her former friend since Santana had moved in with him as much as she should have. He had to call now right when Puck was going down her, and she wanted to get lost in her last orgasm before her baby girl was due to be home in fifty minutes.

"Hang up the damn phone Quinn." Puck said to Quinn as he traced his lips on her nether lips before removing his head from between her legs. Puck was so sick of Quinn's blatant disregard for his feelings. It was as if she couldn't let the freaking phone call go to voicemail once she knew that the conversation didn't involve her daughter.

"Artie, you called right when I was in the middle of the something. Why don't you and Santana come over tonight for dinner, and you can tell me what you intended say?" Quinn implored hoping Artie would take the hint so Puck could continue in eating her out.

"Quinn, I need to talk to you privately without Santana and Puck around it's concerning Mercedes and Sam." Artie began and then continued to tell Quinn about Mike's fight with Sam, how Mike ended up in the hospital, and how Sam ended up with Mercedes.

Puck was so pissed that Quinn hadn't hung up the phone on Artie on all people that he began to use his fingers to stroke deep into her warm heat only to wet and re-wet his hands as he began to stroke himself to a climax and brought his body above hers so he was able to come all over breasts why Quinn still tried to ignore him and pay attention to every word that Artie was saying.

When Puck's warm ejaculate fell on top of her bared breasts, Quinn couldn't stop herself from cursing and ending the phone call with Artie as she continued to curse Puck out and head to her en suite bathroom to take a shower and then tell her gigolo what was acceptable and not acceptable behavior in her bedroom.

However, before Quinn got out her shower, Puck had packed a duffle bag and was already out the door. He couldn't take any more of Quinn's shit. She had been leading him by the nose since the day they met in high school. She was like the ideal girlfriend perfect for his best friend Finn, so he didn't try to get away with their romance until he started eyeing Finn watching Rachel Berry. After that Puck couldn't stop himself from seducing her and introducing her to the joys of sex.

Years later and many fights as well as hook-ups, Puck was ready to get his life on track. He had moved to New York to begin to work on his screenplay and take classes so he could develop his talents. He had called Jake as soon as he moved to the city thinking he could live with his brother until he was able to afford a place of his own. However, Jake was not as famous or as well-paid as he thought he would be as a dancer and a supporting actor on Broadway. So his brother supplemented his income by modeling, and that is how his brother stayed in contact and remained friends with Sam Evans.

Puck couldn't stand Sam Evans after watching the devastation he put his Hot Mamma through. Puck could remember living in California with the shell of the person who used to be Mercedes Jones and her attitude after their break up was one that forced Puck to really become Hot Mamma's friend and not someone who he could sleep with and use like he did the many ladies he had banged excluding Zizes and Fabray.

Puck couldn't help but become Mercedes' true friend and confidant and encouraged her to take her heartbreak and incorporate it into her music. When he had come back from Lima and saw that she had cut all of her hair off like Angela Bassett in the movie that she had forced him to watch, he was shocked but happy that she seemed to be ridding herself of the past. Puck only wanted to return back to Lima and beat Sam's ass after discovering his new relationship with Brittany, but Mercedes told him that the idiot wasn't worth it. Puck told her that Sam was just trying to be the New Puck since Blaine was apparently the New Rachel, and the two laughed like nobody's business after their return trip to Lima for the Thanksgiving holidays.

Puck didn't tell Mercedes that what he was saying was the truth because after that wedding fiasco, Puck had a bro night with Sam, Artie, and Mike and the four got drunk while playing Call of Duty. Sam stayed up late crying to Puck about how he still loved Mercedes and was only using Brittany. Puck didn't want Mercedes to ever go through the heartbreak that he had witnessed her going through, so he kept his mouth shut, and he and Mercedes agreed to never bring Sam Evans' name back into any of their conversations.

However, when Puck moved to New York to take acting and directing classes while he finished his screenplay, he was beyond outraged when Santana and Quinn told him about how Sam's past behavior had ruined so many people's lives. Santana and Brittany would always have a place in his heart because they were involved in his first threesome and knew him for the longest time. Plus breaking Quinn's heart the girl who was his dream girl the one he always thought was too good for him, and not including breaking the heart of the best girl in the whole McKinley New Directions-Mercedes Jones made Puck realized that Sam had surpassed even him in being a dick. Sam Evans was a supreme dick. Puck knew about being a supreme dick. And he didn't hesitate to join Quinn and Santana and eventually in their plans to get revenge on the thoughtless playboy that Sam Evans still was being.

Unfortunately for Puck, he was able to hear Sam waking up in his first dream screaming Mercedes' name right after they imprisoned him in Quinn's basement. He couldn't help but deny that that crazy man had did something so stupid in breaking up with Hot Mamma when it was obvious to anyone who spent any time with him while he was vulnerable (sleep or drunk) that the man was still in love with Mercedes Jones. Witnessing the three most gorgeous and now most vindictive women he knew torture Sam made Puck began to feel some sympathy for him. Especially when Puck couldn't help but notice Mercedes was not into the torturing as Quinn and Santana.

However, when Santana finally got some from Artie and changed her tune, and Sam had realized the errors of his ways, Puck was beyond angry that Quinn wouldn't agree to let him go. Puck was going to free him regardless of what Quinn demanded until she told him 'I love you' which made him vulnerable to her manipulative wiles and ended up allowing them both to experience the best sex of their lives.

Puck no longer was willing to play the French manservant role that Quinn had been helping with him as an assignment for his role as part of the Actor's Studio. Quinn was the only friend that he had besides Kurt who could speak passable French, and since he lived with her, he was over the moon that she was so dedicated in helping to master the nuances and the character that he had to play for an assignment. When Quinn revealed her true reason for helping him so wholeheartedly with the role, Puck was so pussy whipped he would have agreed to anything that she asked.

Now, he realized that Quinn was still as emotionally unbalanced as ever and would never allow herself the vulnerability of being in love with him or receiving love from him, and he was finished with her. He had told her to let this thing with Sam and Mercedes go, and after much arguing and make up sex, she had agreed to. Now after she wouldn't hang the phone up on Artie who was talking about Sam and Mercedes, he saw the truth that Quinn would never give up her obsessive behavior to establish a relationship with him. He was already bound to her daughter, and he knew that when their relationship ended, he was going to end up with three very hurt people, if he didn't get out now before he felt as gone for Quinn as Sam had felt gone for Mercedes when he thought he would never be able to be loved by her again.

Puck went to Jake's place and was glad that his brother had given him a key and told him he could crash their whenever he needed an estrogen free place to be. Puck let himself in, turned off his cell phone, and began working diligently on his script trying to put his emotions into his craft and not allowing Quinn to keep him from pursuing his dream and the original reason why he came to New York in the first place.

After two days without hearing from Puck, Quinn gave up trying to reach him on her cell. She figured that he was more than likely over Jake's, and she had too much on her plate to deal with his hormonal ass. Her mind went back to the past when she finally calmed down after getting all of Puck's cum out of her hair and breasts in her shower and spending time with her daughter and then her little girl kept asking for Uncle Noah, Quinn couldn't help but wish he would come back so that she didn't feel so alone in her apartment after her child went to sleep that night. After having the place filled with prisoner Sam, Santana, and Mercedes and now just having her and her daughter there made Quinn feel lonelier than she had in a long time.

"Artie, I hate you right now." Quinn told him last night during their impromptu meeting.

"Go head and hate on me hater." Artie said as he gave her all the details he had gotten from Mike on Sam and Mercedes' reconciliation.

"Well, I promised Sam, Santana, and Puck that I would leave Sam and Mercedes alone. Even though I was disturbed at the fact that Sam had beaten Mike up so badly that he had to be hospitalized, and Mercedes still chose to go to Sam when she could have had Mike, I was temporarily ready to help you get Mercedes from Sam's evil clutches." Quinn said before pausing to take a break.

"But, I realized that I have caused enough pain for Sam and Mercedes and I am probably the very reason the two broke up so long ago. You see, I tried to get Sam back as soon as he moved back from Kentucky to stay with the Hudmels. After Sam rejected me and before I joined them in the God Squad, I went to Mercedes' father who thought of me as his own child while I lived with them, and I told him that Sam had been a stripper while he was in Kentucky and was not good enough for Mercedes when she had a boyfriend who was already given a scholarship to play with Ohio State. I encouraged Mercedes to stay with Shane even though I knew she was obviously not over Sam." Quinn confessed.

"Damn Quinn that is pretty vindictive even for you, but I don't see how that forced Sam to break up with Mercedes and screw over Brittany and then force Santana to become a drug addicted prostitute because he was so angry at being used by everyone instead of manning up and telling Mercedes the truth." Artie said not willing to forgive Sam at all.

"Well, I am the reason why instead of the two getting together during Valentine's Day, Mercedes sang "I Will Always Love You" and kept them apart. I guilt tripped Mercedes into feeling guilty about cheating on Shane with Sam. I used her Christianity to make her end things with Sam and their down low relationship, and I encouraged her to find herself and have Mercedependence like my Quinndependence. I was doing this while Rachel, Tina, Kurt, and even Santana were urging her to reunite with Sam, I was telling her to take all the time that she needed. The two would have never gotten back together if it hadn't been for that _Disco Inferno _video. After that I took my time trying to destroy Rachel and Finn's relationship which only landed me in a wheelchair and finally got my focus off of making other people as miserable as I was." Quinn confessed knowing that is when she and Artie became friends.

"I showed her father the video and told her that Sam was the reason why Mercedes was not pursuing all the advantages in education that she could all because of her stripper boyfriend during her graduation party. When her parents discovered them getting hot and heavy, Papa Jones had all he needed to threaten Sam to break up with his daughter." Quinn said as her voice trailed off realizing that if she wouldn't have butted in maybe all that bad things that had happen their senior year and after that year wouldn't have never happened. Sam and Mercedes could have gotten together earlier, and the Joneses would be able to see that Sam loved their daughter and only wanted the best for her and would have not interfered in their relationship. She had let her own daddy issues and jealousies over all the other Glee girls being in relationships and being in love that she had sought to sabotage the people that she cared for the most to see them as miserable as she was.

"Quinn, I think that you are allowing the absence of Puck's cock to make you grow soft. You don't have the man around to make you feel like a supreme dominatrix and you are turning into a sub. Get your fucking heart out of this conversation and get your head involved. We have to keep Sam from having his happy endings. None of what you did forced Sam, Mercedes, and the Joneses to make the decisions that they made." Artie said still not willing to let go of his anger.

"Artie I may be dick deprived, but I am not some two bit whore that you can come into my home and disrespect me like this. If you would listen to yourself, you would see the same thing that I am beginning to see. Sam didn't make Britt break up with Santana. Brittany did what she wanted to do because Brittany only thinks of herself. Brittany was calling Unique Mercedes and being all kinds of rude and disrespectful to your girl Cedes, and I never heard you at that time correcting her or Mercedes' long time friend Tina. Brittany was a hot mess during her and Sam's whole relationship because of Sam, Santana, you, and the rest of the people who let her be a hot mess and that lead to the destruction of her relationship with Santana. If Santana had never broken up with her in the first place, Britt and Sam would have never gotten together, and Sam would have never been disillusioned when Britt broke up with causing him to seek revenge on both Santana and her. All of our actions including the love of your life Santana led to Santana's guilt, heartbreak, and drug addiction as well as her choosing to become a whore."

"I exploited Sam's role in making Santana's life miserable just to get her and Mercedes to join me in getting revenge on Sam. All of us including Mercedes, the saint that all you Glee guys thinks walks on water, had a role in all of our pain. Mercedes should have confronted Sam a long time ago and fought for him the way he fought for her if she truly believed he loved her in the first place then to think he could be professing true love in May then in July saying bye bye without batting his eye. We all were wrong. Yes, Sam and Mr. Jones were the most at fault for Mercedes' pain, but as adults we have to build a bridge and move over and start enjoying our lives." Quinn said and continued before Artie could say another word.

"I do believe that Mike is a better man for Mercedes than Sam, but Mercedes loves Sam and Sam really does love Mercedes. Mike does not love Mercedes yes, he was infatuated with her just like all the Glee guys were at some point, but after he hit it a couple times, he and she both would be ready to quit it, because Mercedes is not into that dude, who I would have gladly taken off her hands if he would have shown the least bit of interest in me. He is the wealthiest, sexiest, and most honorable out of all you guys who we stupidly think that we should limit ourselves to dating. But, I am letting go of my jealousy over Mercedes, and I am about to start living my life for me and not through others, so get the hell out of my home Artie Abrams and don't come back unless you are here with Santana."

Artie shook his head and with a disgruntled shake of his head left Quinn's home not willing to so easily accept defeat. The only person who claimed to love Mercedes as much as her fake and disturbed soul sister Quinn was Kurt Hummel, and he would go and visit him and see if the guy would help him keep Sam from ruining Mercedes' life like Artie knew he would do. Sam Evans didn't deserve Mercedes Jones, and Artie was not ready to accept defeat yet.

_**Two Days Later**_

"Puck I know you are here; open the damn door." Quinn said after leaving her daughter with Santana for the day.

"I don't have anything to say to you Quinn, but that I will be coming over later this week to move all of my things out of your house if that is what you came to tell me."

"Puck, I am here to apologize to you. I have told Artie off and told him that I will have nothing to do with his plans to break up Sam and Mercedes. While I was talking to him, I realized I was the rich girl with white girl problems that Sam accused me of long ago when I tried to get with him when he first came back to Lima. I am no longer that fatherless girl looking for love and acceptance in the wrong places. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I would like to start over with you and pretend to be Lucy and Noah who just met and really get to know the real you while you get to know the real me."

"Lucy Quinn, I already know you the good, the bad, and the evil because let's face it you were never even ugly as Lucy Caboosey. I am a changed man just like I knew Sam had changed while you were still torturing him. We are no longer pussy hounds and young guys trying to prove our maleness by screwing around with anything on two legs. I am serious about being a screenwriter and making my own movies. However, you have got to not let us start over but be willing to risk your heart and concentrate on the family that me, you, and your little girl can be. You have to let Mercedes and Santana go. I love those two just as much as you do, but they have their own lives to live and so do you."

"You are right Noah. Let's go get our daughter from Santana, order take-out, and watch a Disney princess movie and then how bout I let you top from the bottom as long as you promise to never let your cum get in my hair again." Quinn said as she began to rub her hands up and down Noah's abs.

"How about we just make love instead of having hot raunchy sex the way we did before you went all 50 Shades of Flipped Gray." Noah suggested as he went to his temporary room and packed his duffle bag and followed Quinn out of Jake's apartment.

**_Samcedes_**

"Kurt, what in the hell are you talking about?" Sam asked his co-conspirator in trying to win Mercedes' heart.

"Artie, just called me talking about you beating Mike almost to death and running off somewhere with Mercedes and all her friends are worried because they haven't heard from her and are worried that you may have hurt her as well." Kurt said trying to get the conversation he just had out of his head knowing that he was the one who was trying to help Sam win Mercedes' heart all over again knowing the girl was not the least bit in love with Mike Chang.

"Mike and I got in a fight over you know what. I am sure all you knew that he and Mercedes were going to have sex, but fortunately for me and unfortunately for him, I got there before they could begin sleeping together and Mike foolishly threw in my face that he had had my woman and that I was too late, and I went berserker and tried to beat the hell out of him, and Mercedes broke the fight up and went to the hospital with Mike and I went back to the hotel suite to contemplate having loss the woman I loved to someone who I thought was my friend. But the next morning before I could check-out the hotel, Mike had sent Mercedes to me and we reconciled." Sam admitted to Kurt because he still needed at least one of his old friends on both his and Mercedes' side.

"Well, that is good to know all of that undercover wooing you were doing finally paid off, but on behalf of both Blaine, Santana, Quinn, and me if you hurt Mercedes Jones again we will kill you and get away with the murder so make sure you are not going to let anything or anyone especially Artie Abrams ruin what you two have." Kurt said with as much vehemence that Sam had ever heard him with speak with before.

"Believe me when I say I have no intention of letting anyone get between me and my Cedes. She is mine, and I am her hers. We have only loved each other and even all the stupid shit that I have pulled, she is willing to be with me, and I am not going to let her escape me again. Artie is smoking some crack or popping Mollies if he thinks he is going to destroy our relationship."

"Well, I have a plan for dealing with Artie. I am going to pretend to work with him to see what he is up to to make sure that he is unable to destroy yours and my besties' relationship. Blaine and I have appointed ourselves as protectors of Samcedesness." Kurt confessed.

"Samcedesness, do I even want to know what the hell that it is?" Sam said confused but happy that he and Mercedes had true friends that they could count on.

"Don't worry about our ship name for you and my diva or your NYC friends. You just keep a smile on my girl's face and convince her to move here as soon as possible then I will make sure that all of them love you as much as Blaine and I do which won't take much for Santana and Puck to do, but Rachel, Jake, and even Quinn will eventually be accepting of your relationship, or they won't be allowed to be our friends. I just want her back here ASAP because I didn't realized how much I missed her until we were able to spend time together in NYC and then in California courtesy of your shopping spree." Kurt added gleefully.

"Okay, Kurt I will try, now that I know it just Artie and not all of our friends who are against our relationship, I will try to convince her to move to New York and leave sunny LA. Plus New York is closer to her parents, and I am sure until her father is in remission that Mercedes is going to want to be near her family and mine is going to want us near, too. They have missed her more than I'd ever imagined, and when I told them of my plans to marry her, they were more happier than I had seen them in a long time.

"I hope you haven't knocked up my girl yet to force her into marrying you and that is why you have gotten my girl to accept your proposal." Kurt said thinking that what Blaine suggested that Sam do in order to win over Mercedes could have very well happened.

"Tell Blaine, even though I would love to have my Mercedes pregnant with a child, that I haven't had to implement Plan Last Choice yet, but I don't think that it would ever have come to that." Sam said as Mercedes entered the room with her eyebrows raised in question.

"I got to go Mercedes is now about to interrogate me on what in the world is Plan Last Choice, and I don't think Blaine wants to hear what she has to say about his master plan." Sam said ending the call with Kurt.

"So, Kurt, you and Blaine have been plotting on how you could win me back. And Blaine came up with knocking me up. Why am I not in the least bit surprised?" Mercedes said looking at her fiancé shaking her head at their craziness after listening to Sam explaining the last moments of his conversation with Kurt.

"Well, his plan was that I kidnap you like you, Quinn, and Santana had kidnapped me and leave you tied to the bed and have sex with you until you became pregnant with my child forcing you to stay with me. He was sure that us raising our child together would draw us closer and finally allow you to fall in love with me. He was drunk and Kurt and I didn't have the heart to tell him that his plan was the worst plan ever so we just humored him and told him that his plan would be our ultimate last choice plan. Unfortunately the next day even sober he was really convinced that his plan was valid, so we continued to allow him to think that we would actually contemplate and initiate it if everything else I did to win you over failed."

"I am glad that I am so easy that you didn't need to rely on Blaine's plan. Also, I could have already been pregnant from our time at Quinn's home because we didn't use protection that last time, and I was scared that I was when I left New York." Mercedes confessed to Sam.

"Wow." Sam said not even thinking about their last time making love in Quinn's home and not even realizing that she could have gotten pregnant.

"Sam, I think subconsciously the both of us were willing for me to be pregnant because we haven't been practicing safe sex every time we make love, and I won't be surprised if I am pregnant before our one year anniversary." Mercedes admitted to Sam thinking about how many times he had cum inside her without a condom, and how she hadn't brought her pills to the hotel and had gone several days without taking them.

"I will admit to having dreams about you and our kids, so maybe subconsciously I have been trying to make these dreams come true. Are you ready for a husband and a family the future Mrs. Evans?"

"Yes, I am since that is what marriage means, and we are going to be married in a little over a month's time." Mercedes said as she leaned over him and kissed him, and she began to undress him to begin making those babies that he was obviously wanting to be a reality, and even she could admit that starting a family right now was not something that she was opposed of doing because she loved Sam Evans and would love their children. It was their time to finally be happy and nothing was going to keep them for enjoying their reconciliation.


End file.
